Why does age affect fertility? Fertility decreases with age, particularly after the age of 35 because both the number and quality of eggs gets lower. An egg is sent from your ovaries to your womb every month from when you hit puberty to the menopause. When the egg binds with sperm in the womb you get pregnant. Although it may seem like your body is making a new egg every month, this is not the case. Women are born with all the eggs they ever have and they are stored in the ovaries. As you get older your eggs get older too. How long it takes to get pregnant depending on age More than 8 out of 10 of couples where the woman is under 40 will get pregnant naturally within a year of having regular unprotected sex (having sex every 2 to 3 days without using contraception). One study found that for couples having regular unprotected sex: around 7 out of 10 women aged 30 will conceive within one year around 6 out of 10 women aged 35 will conceive within one year around 4 out of 10 women aged 40 will conceive within one year. There are several causes for fertility problems, but sometimes an exact cause can’t be found. This is called ‘unexplained infertility’. Unexplained infertility is rare when the woman is in her 20s but becomes the most common cause of infertility in women over 35 years of age. There are treatments such as IVF (in vitro fertilisation) that can help you to conceive if you are struggling. You should see your GP if you haven’t conceived after a year of trying or within six months of trying to conceive if you are over 36. If you know you have any other health concerns related to fertility, such as endometriosis, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) or thyroid problems you should also make an earlier appointment with your doctor. Remember that age is not the only thing that may affect your fertility. Smoking alcohol and drug use, obesity and sexually transmitted diseases can also have an impact on your ability to get pregnant. If you are thinking about having a baby later in life, try not to get too stressed about the impact of age on your fertility. Best Fertility Centre , Ashwini Hospital Moondrumavadi K.Pudur Madurai-07, Advanced Fertility care centre . Maternal and Child Health Care Centre.