Causes in women Infertility in women can also have a range of causes. Risk factors Risk factors that increase the risk include: Smoking significantly increases your risk of infertility Age: The ability to conceive starts to fall around the age of 32 years. Smoking: Smoking significantly increases the risk of infertility in both men and women, and it may undermine the effects of fertility treatme ...

Ovulation disorders Ovulation disorders, meaning you ovulate infrequently or not at all, account for infertility in about 1 in 4 infertile couples. Problems with the regulation of reproductive hormones by the hypothalamus or the pituitary gland, or problems in the ovary, can cause ovulation disorders. Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). PCOS causes a hormone imbalance, which affects ovulation. PCOS ...

What age-related factors may be involved with infertility in females and males? Fertility naturally declines as females and males get older. For instance, a female is born with all the eggs she will ever have naturally. Researchers currently believe that women are born with 1 million to 2 million eggs and that this number decreases throughout the lifespan. The decrease in fertility accelerates ov ...

Who is at risk for male infertility? You may be more likely to have male infertility if you have had: Past inflammation of the prostate or past genital infections Injury to or twisting (torsion) of the testicles Early or late puberty Exposure of the genitals to high temperatures Hernia repair Undescended testicles You may also be at risk if you take certain prescription medicines. These include m ...

Ovulation disorders Ovulation disorders, meaning you ovulate infrequently or not at all, account for infertility in about 1 in 4 infertile couples. Problems with the regulation of reproductive hormones by the hypothalamus or the pituitary gland, or problems in the ovary, can cause ovulation disorders. Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). PCOS causes a hormone imbalance, which affects ovulation. PCOS ...

Risk factors Certain factors may put you at higher risk of infertility, including: Age. The quality and quantity of a woman's eggs begin to decline with age. In the mid-30s, the rate of follicle loss speeds, resulting in fewer and poorer quality eggs. This makes conception more difficult, and increases the risk of miscarriage. Smoking. Besides damaging your cervix and fallopian tubes, smoking inc ...

Testing and Treatment: The first few days of your monthly cycle is the best time to schedule your first visit to a fertility doctor, so you can start trying to get pregnant right away. Bring along all your medical records, or ask your previous doctor to send them directly to the reproductive endocrinologist. Also, you should make a list of any questions that you'd like to discuss during this initi ...

What causes infertility in men? Infertility in men can be caused by different factors and is typically evaluated by a semen analysis. When a semen analysis is performed, the number of sperm (concentration), motility (movement), and morphology (shape) are assessed by a specialist. A slightly abnormal semen analysis does not mean that a man is necessarily infertile. Instead, a semen analysis helps d ...