What causes infertility?

Infertility is caused by a wide range of factors which include:

• Age
• Types of medication
• Lifestyle (smoking, drinking, diet etc)
• Birth control methods
• Obesity
• Gender specific complaints (see sections on female and male infertility)

And, there are a small percentage of cases (around 20%) in which there appears to be no obvious reason for infertility. Experts call this ‘unexplained infertility’.

Many couples don’t realise that they have fertility problems until they start trying to conceive. And find that it is harder than they thought.

It can be terribly frustrating when you and your partner long to have a family to find that you cannot get pregnant even after trying for a long period of time.

If this state of affairs has been going on for a year or more then it’s usually a sign of a fertility problem. Other indicators include an absence of or irregular periods (in women) and problems with ejaculation (in men).

About infertility Guide Index:

• What is infertility?
• How common is infertility?
• What causes infertility?
• How long should my partner and I try for a baby?
• Why is it more difficult to get pregnant when you are older?

• Isn’t infertility a woman’s problem?
• Do sexually transmitted diseases cause infertility?
• What is ‘unexplained infertility?’
• We both have a healthy lifestyle and enjoy regular sex so why can’t I become pregnant?
• When should we visit our GP?