Infertility causes
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Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [2]
Overview
- A wide range of physical and emotional factors can cause infertility. Infertility may be due to problems in the woman, man, or both.
Causes
Causes In Either Sex
Factors that can cause male as well as female infertility are:
- Genetic
- General factors
- Diabetes mellitus, thyroid disorders, adrenal disease
- Hypothalamic-pituitary factors:
Specific Female Causes
- Female infertility may be caused by:
- Autoimmune disorders, such as antiphospholipid syndrome (APS)
- Cancer or tumor
- Clotting disorders
- Diabetes
- Growths (such as fibroids or polyps) in the uterus and cervix
- Birth defects that affect the reproductive tract
- Excessive exercising
- Eating disorders or poor nutrition
- Use of certain medications, including chemotherapy drugs
- Drinking too much alcohol
- Obesity
- Older age
- Ovarian cysts and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)
- Pelvic infection or pelvic inflammatory disease (PID)
- Scarring from sexually transmitted infection or endometriosis
- Thyroid disease
- Too little or too much hormones
Specific Male Causes
- Male infertility can be caused by:
- Environmental pollutants
- Being in high heat for prolonged periods
- Birth defects
- Heavy use of alcohol, marijuana or cocaine
- Too little or too much hormones
- Impotence
- Infection
- Older age
- Cancer treatments, including chemotherapy and radiation
- Scarring from sexually transmitted diseases, injury, or surgery
- Retrograde ejaculation
- Smoking
- Use of certain drugs, such as cimetidine, spironolactone, and nitrofurantoin
- In healthy couples under age 30 who have sex regularly, the chance of getting pregnant is about 25 - 30% per month.
- A woman's peak fertility occurs in her early 20s. After age 35 (and especially 40), the chances that a woman can get pregnant drops considerably.