Infertility is a common condition that affects nearly 11% of women and 9% of men in the United States.1 If you have been struggling to get pregnant, you can learn more about the causes behind infertility at one of our First Fertility locations. Our specialists understand the complexities of infertility, and we’re here to come up with a treatment plan to help you successfully grow your family.
What Causes Infertility?
If you have been trying and failing to conceive, you may want to consider infertility testing to determine the cause. We recommend that women 35 and younger try for at least a year, while women over 35 should be tested after around six months of unprotected intercourse.
Before determining the cause behind your infertility, it’s important to understand the different types:
- Primary Infertility—You are unable to conceive naturally and have never been pregnant.
- Secondary Infertility—You are unable to conceive naturally after at least one pregnancy.
- Unexplained Infertility—Fertility tests have not found a reason why you cannot get pregnant.
Your medical history, family history, and other lifestyle factors will be taken into consideration when starting infertility treatments. Infertility presents itself differently in women and men and oftentimes is a result of multiple related causes:
Female Infertility
Female infertility is often caused by conditions that disrupt the function of reproductive organs. Some factors, such as age and medical history, will also impact fertility. By the time a woman is 35, her egg supply will have significantly decreased and will continue to steeply decline from that point forward.
Examples of causes of female infertility include:
- Ovulation disorders affecting the release of eggs from the ovaries
- Uterine conditions, such as fibroids, that block or damage the fallopian tubes
- Primary ovarian insufficiency, which causes the end of menstrual periods before age 40
- Pelvic adhesions, which are bands of scar tissue that bind adjacent organs together
- Chronic conditions, such as endometriosis and PCOS, STDs, or certain cancer treatments
Male Infertility
Male infertility is typically a result of sperm count and function. Male infertility may be caused by the following:
- Conditions that affect sperm count, such as undescended testicles or hormone problems
- Sexual, genetic, or physical conditions that prevent sperm from reaching the eggs
- Cancer treatments or exposure to certain environmental factors, such as pesticides
- Having no sperm in your ejaculate, also known as azoospermia.
- Sperm Morphology abnormalities
How is Infertility Treated?
Couples or individuals who experience infertility can still successfully conceive and have a baby. Our fertility specialists can meet with you to create the right treatment plan for you. After performing fertility tests to help us understand the cause of your infertility, we can recommend the next steps.
For many of our patients, assisted reproduction, such as IUI or IVF, is an effective treatment for infertility. Some patients may also successfully reproduce later in life by freezing their eggs or embryos at a young age.
The right treatment for you will depend on the type of infertility you are experiencing, the causes behind it, and your family-building goals.
Learn More About Your Fertility at First Fertility
For any couple or individual wanting to grow their family but struggling to conceive, the specialists at First Fertility are here to help. As you begin your fertility journey with us, we’ll direct you to the right resources and tests to help you learn more about infertility.
You can request a fertility consultation virtually or at one of our many locations across the country.
1 The Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
