What are some risk factors for infertility?
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Apr 15, 2015
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Dr. Steven Lindheim discusses some of the risk factors of infertility.
What are some risk factors for infertility?
The risk factors that may cause infertility can be many. And some of those include women who have had previous pelvic surgery that may cause one to have pelvic adhesions, and result in infertility. There are a number of issues that may lead to infertility. So for example, a woman who has irregular menstrual cycles having a period is not in fertility but having irregular menstrual cycles would imply that you're not ovulating regularly. So most women get about 12 periods per year which means you're ovulating 12 times a year. If you ovulate anything less than that, then you're reducing your likelihood of getting pregnant. So women, we would define for having less than six per year regular periods would be something of significance that they should raise to their physician. Body mass index, so an increase in weight, even overweight women, not obese women have an increased likelihood of infertility. I like to use the rules of 25. So if you have a body mass index, and we calculate body mass index based on your height and based on your weight. And if you're above 27 you have a 25% reduction in fertility. You also have a 25% reduction and fertility therapy. So attempts at losing weight prior to attempt at conception will dramatically increase your likelihood of fertility and also treatments related to fertility. Other things for women to think about that kind of go hand-in-hand with irregular menstrual cycles and increase in body mass index, would be things like breast discharge, that can be associated with those problems. Those are endocrine hormone problems that can lead to infertility and irregular menstrual cycles. Women that have abnormal hair growth, excessive acme are all associated with conditions called polycystic ovarian syndrome. PC OS or polycystic ovary syndrome is associated with obesity, overweight irregular menstrual cycles and actually prediabetic and diabetic conditions. All of which can easily be treated and simply result in normal fertility once they’re normalized. Other things that can be associated with fertility is that if you have a family history of recurrent pregnancy loss there could be an association with uterine congenital defects that may that may result in infertility and recurrent pregnancy loss. And then lastly, your partner. Don't ever underestimate of if they are of excessive weight. Weight gain. They may have issues related to sperm function. Interestingly, issues related to ejaculation. If a man does not ejaculate out the tip of the penis but rather on the top or on the bottom which we refer to as hypo or at the stadia may result in infertility related issues. So some simple things that may predispose or increase the risk.