What causes infertility in women?

Ovulation problems.

• Ovulation is the release of the egg from the woman's ovary.
• It happens one time per month, about half way between one menstrual period and the next.
• Without normal ovulation, a woman can't get pregnant.
• A woman with ovulation problems may have periods that don't come on time each month. Or she may skip periods.
• Ovulation problems can be caused by hormone imbalances.

Blocked fallopian tubes.

• To get pregnant, a woman's egg must move from the ovary to the uterus (womb).
• The egg moves through the fallopian tube. The fallopian tube is where the egg and sperm meet (fertilization).
• If the fallopian tube gets blocked due to infection, surgery, or other problems, then sperm cannot reach the egg to fertilize it .

Uterus shape.

• The fertilized egg travels to the uterus (womb), attaches to the wall of the uterus, and pregnancy starts.
• If the shape of the uterus is not normal, the fertilized egg may not attach to the uterine wall, and the woman won't get pregnant.

Fibroids.

• Fibroids are lumps of extra uterine muscle that can form on the inside of the uterus.
• Fibroids can make it hard for the fertilized egg to attach to the uterus.

What causes infertility in men?

Varicocele (VAIR-ih-koh-seel).

• A varicocele happens when a vein on a man's testicles gets too large.
• The big veins heat the testicles.
• The heat damages the sperm.

Problems with sperm.

• If a man makes too few sperm or none at all the woman can't get pregnant.
• If the sperm don't move right they won't meet (fertilize) the egg.

Blocked tubes.

• Sperm travel in tubes from the man's testicles to the penis.
• If the tubes are blocked, the sperm can't get out to fertilize the egg, the woman can't get prgnant.

What decreases the chance of getting pregnant?

In women:

• Age 30 or older (at age 40 there is a big drop in the chance of getting pregnant).
• Smoking.
• Heavy alcohol use.
• Stress.
• Poor diet.
• Too much athletic training.
• Overweight or underweight.
• Sexually transmitted infections (STIs).
• Health problems that cause changes in the hormones in a woman's body.

In men:

• Age (over age 40 there are more fertility problems)
• Smoking.
• Heavy alcohol use.
• Drugs.
• Environmental toxins, including pesticides and lead.
• Health problems such as mumps or hormone problems.
• Radiation treatment and chemotherapy.

Are there tests for infertility?

In many cases, tests can help find the cause of infertility.

Tests for women and men:

• Physical exam.
• Questions about medical problems in the past.

Tests for women:

• Pelvic exam.
• Ovulation predictor tests.
• Imaging tests to check the shape of the uterus and fallopian tubes.
• Blood tests to check hormone levels.
• Laparoscopy (a procedure where a small needle is inserted into the abdomen (belly area) to check the fallopian tubes, ovaries and uterus).
• Basal body temperature charting (checking the temperature every morning to check for ovulation).

Tests for men:

• Semen analysis to check the number, shape, and movement of sperm.