ABCs of Female Infertility

A

Age: As a woman gets older her fertility diminishes.
Alcohol used in excess can cause problems in ovulation and overall health.
Anorexia is an eating disorder that can cause ovulation problems.
Autoimmune factors: Anti-thyroid antibodies, anti-sperm antibodies, and activated natural killer cells may contribute to infertility.

B

Blood Clotting Disorders: A family history of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), rheumatoid arthritis, stroke, or heart attack can indicate blood clotting disorders. This, in turn, can cause a number of problems if a woman does become pregnant.
Bulimia is an eating disorder that can also cause ovulation problems.

C

Cancer and its treatments: Certain cancers such as the female reproductive cancers can significantly impair fertility. Cancer treatments such as radiation and chemotherapy are likely to affect a woman's ability to reproduce.
Caffeine: Excessive caffeine consumption has been associated with delayed conception in women trying to get pregnant.
Celiac Sprue is a disorder that affects men and women and causes an inability to tolerate gluten, a common food chemical. It can affect nutrition, immune factors, and hormones. However, if put on a strict diet, infertility can be reversed.
Cervix Damage which can include: poor cervical mucous, narrowing of the cervix, infections of the cervix or even immune response to sperm known as "sperm allergy".
Cushing's Disease is an endocrine or hormonal disorder which can cause infertility.
Cysts can cause ovulation problems.

D

Diabetes: Many women with type 2 diabetes also have polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) and may have a harder time with conception than women without diabetes.

E

Ectopic Pregnancy: Certain treatments or surgeries for any previous ectopic pregnancy may make it more difficult to get pregnant.
Endometriosis: Endometriosis can interfere with ovulation, embryo implantation and in severe cases, scar tissue can develop causing a distortion in the pelvic anatomy.
Environmental toxins, like lead, pesticides, paraben and phthalates cause health and reproductive problems in people who are continuously exposed to these strong chemicals.
Extreme Exercise that causes a significant loss of body fat.

F

Fallopian Tubes which are damaged or blocked.
Fibroids may cause infertility by blocking the fallopian tubes.

G

Genital tract: Obstruction in the genital tract can prevent the sperm from reaching the egg.

H

Harsh Chemical Solvents: Work environments with an excess of harsh chemical solvents, like hair salons, dry cleaners and spas, have been linked to an increased rate of miscarriage among their female employees.
HIV/AIDS and related treatments cause abnormalities with a woman's menstruation.
Hormone Imbalance creates anovulation. (an inability to ovulate)

I

Illicit Drug Use: Drugs, such as cocaine, heroin, and ecstasy have all been shown to have dramatic affects on male and female fertility. If these drugs are used long-term, it can lead to permanent reproductive problems which will prevent conception.
Infection does not only physically block ovulation but can also cause hormonal imbalance leading to anovulation.
Iron Deficiency: Women who take extra iron dramatically reduce their risk of becoming anovulatory.

J

Jumpstart Fertility by acquiring healthy habits. Eat healthy. Exercise moderately. Practice good personal hygiene and abstain from heavy substance abuse.

K

Kidney Disease

L

Lifestyle Balance: By keeping your lifestyle in balance will ensure that many causes of infertility are under your own control.

M

Malfunction of the hypothalamus: The hypothalamus and the pituitary gland must function correctly in order for ovulation to take place.
Medications: Drugs such as antidepressants, steroid shots, and high blood pressure medication can all affect the reproductive system in a negative way.
Menopause: Early menopause is the absence of menstruation and early exhaustion of ovarian follicles before the age of 35.
Menstrual Cycle Absence or Irregularity: Some signs that a woman is not ovulating normally include absent or irregular menstrual periods.
Metabolic Syndrome is a pre-diabetic condition that is greatly associated with heart disease. This condition is diagnosed when at least three of the following are present: Abdominal obesity; Insulin resistance; High triglyceride levels; High blood pressure; and Low HDL (good) cholesterol levels.

N

Number of Eggs that a woman has is important. As a woman ages she produces less eggs.

O

Ovulatory Dysfunction is abnormal, irregular, or absent ovulation.

P

Pelvic Inflammatory Disease is known to be a long-term consequence of many sexually transmitted diseases as well as of bacterial vaginosis (BV), pelvic surgery, and other gynecologic procedures that cross the cervix. Pelvic inflammatory disease is an inflammation of a woman's upper reproductive tract, including the structures of the uterus, ovaries, and fallopian tubes.
Poor Diet can affect a woman's hormonal balance.

Q

Quality of Eggs: Egg quality affects your fertility in a big way. Poor quality eggs will cause you to have a difficult time getting pregnant and staying pregnant.

R

Recurrent Miscarriages: While experiencing one previous miscarriage won't increase your risk of recurrent miscarriage, women who have experienced two pregnancy losses are more likely to undergo recurrent pregnancy loss.

S

Scar tissue formation of the fallopian tubes may impair fertility by pinning the tubes down and preventing movement designed to find and catch drifting eggs.
Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs) lead to Pelvic Inflammatory Disease which stems from the same bacteria and causes infertility.
Sickle Cell Disease: There is no evidence that female fertility is affected by Sickle Cell Disease, but pregnancy can cause many serious problems such as higher miscarriage and stillborn rates; preeclampsia, infections and more.
Steroid Use: Anabolic steroids are derived from the male hormone, testosterone. Therefore, steroid use can have a dramatic affect on both the male and female reproductive system affecting fertility permanently.
Stress can affect a woman's hormonal balance.

T

Thyroid dysfunction can stop ovulation by upsetting the balance of the body's natural reproductive hormones.
Tobacco Smoking: Women who smoke are 60% more likely than nonsmokers to be infertile.
Tumors do not only physically block ovulation but can also cause hormonal imbalance leading to anovulation.

U

Unruptured Follicle Syndrome happens to women who produce a normal follicle, with an egg inside of it every month but the follicle fails to rupture, preventing ovulation.
Unexplained Infertility: The cause of infertility in approximately 20% of couples can not always be determined.
Uterus: Polyps and other problems with the uterus can cause infertility.

V

Various Gland Defects: Problems with glands such as pituitary, adrenal and thyroid can delay or prevent the ovaries from releasing an egg.

W

Weight: Women who are considerably heavier or lighter than their ideal body weight are more likely to be anovulatory, and thus, infertile, than women who are within their normal body weight range.

X

X Chromosome Abnormality: A woman needs two functioning X chromosomes for normal reproduction. When one is abnormal, ovarian function fails.

Y

Your Chances of being infertile decrease if you live a balanced and healthy lifestyle.

Z

Zinc helps your system to synthesize and use the hormones you need to get and stay pregnant.