Are you and your partner trying to have a baby but haven’t had any success? You should know that this is very normal for a few different reasons. However, before getting discourages, it’s important to understand that there are many different causes of female infertility.
Leading Causes of Female Infertility
In this article, we will tell you the most common causes of female infertility. The most important thing is to be familiar with them so you can act accordingly. Some of them are relatively easy to combat, although they may need a medical treatment.
1. Ovulation Problems and Infertility
Ovulation problems occur when eggs don’t mature in your ovaries or when your ovaries can’t release a mature egg.
This problem is one of the most common causes of female infertility. Some of the symptoms you could experience are:
- Irregular or absent menstrual periods
- Mild or heavy flow
- Absence of symptoms leading up to menstruation (such as inflammation or breast tenderness)
The solution to this problem is usually to start taking certain medications. Since every person’s body is different, you should consult your doctor so they can evaluate your specific condition and prescribe you the correct medication.
It’s also important to not feel hopeless, try to change your dosage or start taking new medication. Remember that your body needs some time to adjust to changes.
2. Endometriosis
Endometriosis is another of the causes of female infertility. It’s a benign condition that affects women in their productive age.
This inflammatory condition causes organs to adhere together.
What’s interesting about these adhesions is that they’re made of tissue that normally grows within the uterus, but in this case, it grows outside of it.
Some women don’t show symptoms and can go their whole lives without experiencing problems.
Others, on the other hand, have problems such as:
- Excessive pain or cramps during their period
- Pain during sex
- Bleeding or spotting outside of their period
- Pelvic pain
- Bleeding more than usual
If you experience these issues or do not want to have children yet and have not gone to the gynecologist, it’s a good idea to go for a routine checkup.
In addition to helping you control these problems, your doctor will give you suggestions to prevent problems while trying to get pregnant.
If you don’t have symptoms but your mom, grandma, aunts or sisters have had this problem, you should tell your gynecologist.
3. Age
Age is one of the biggest determining factors when talking about feminine infertility. The chance of conceiving gradually goes down as your age increases.
Unfortunately, this factor isn’t one that you can combat, and after all, your body is a machine. As it gets older, some processes have to change.
- The most ideal age range to try to have a baby is between 22 and 35 if you are healthy.
- If you live with a chronic illness, ask your gynecologist if there’s a different age range. They could tell you that women with diabetes could start having difficulties around age 30 or 31.
- Additionally, some women don’t have any problems having kids after age 35.
4. Polycystic Ovary Syndrome
One quarter of the causes of female infertility come from an imbalance in female sex hormones. This usually causes changes in the woman’s menstrual cycle and cysts on their ovaries.
The little follicles in the ovaries don’t develop enough to mature, which prevents the release of eggs. The most common symptoms of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome are:
- Irregular periods
- Excessive hair growth
- Acne
- Obesity
If you have this condition, it’s important for your doctor to do certain hormonal tests and run other routine exams. Also, you should make some lifestyle changes.
5. Immune System Fights and Eliminates Sperm
The immune responses between certain tissues in your reproductive system can cause infertility. The most common is that your antibodies act against your ovarian tissue.
The way to fix this varies according to how strong the antibodies are. Only your doctor can tell you the best option. Although this cause of infertility can cause problems, in the end, it means that your body is very healthy.
6. Injuries in Your Fallopian Tubes
Normally, your Fallopian tubes act like a fishing pole: they take the released egg during ovulation, transport the sperm to the egg, and lead the fertilized egg to the uterus.
However, when there’s damage to your Fallopian tubes, there are usually blocks or adherences that stop the fertilized egg from being able to implant itself in the uterus.
This type of damage could be caused by:
- Infections
- Consequence of certain Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI) such as gonorrhea or chlamydia
- Some previous pelvic surgery
- Alterations since birth
These injuries don’t just cause female infertility. They are also one of the causes of ectopic pregnancies. These are the pregnancies that happen outside of the uterus or inside the Fallopian tubes.
7. Not Enough Sexual Relations at the Right Time
Putting medical factors to the side, female infertility can also be due to not having enough sexual relations or that the couple isn’t having them at the best time.
It’s important to remember that you aren’t fertile every day of the month. If you have any doubts on when the best time is, ask your doctor.
Via: VeryWellFamily | EmpowHer
