Could Your Lifestyle Be Causing Infertility?


By Nicole Kerr, ND, LAc I


n the age of instant gratifi cation, infertil- ity can feel like a diagnosis that will never be overcome for many couples


wanting to be pregnant NOW. More than fi ve million people of childbearing age in the United States, or one in every ten couples, have problems with infertility. Infertility is defi ned clinically as not being able to achieve and maintain pregnancy after one year of having regular, well timed, unprotected intercourse, or after six months if the woman is older than 35 years old. According to the NIH, 9% of men and 11% of women of reproductive age in the United States have experienced fertility problems. Studies suggest that 12%-15% of couples are unable to conceive after one year of unprotected sex, and 10% still have not had a live-born baby after two years. Female and male factors account for 40% of infertility each, and 20% of infertile couples have both female and male con- tributing factors. In ten percent of infertility cases, there is no identifi able cause for a pregnancy to not occur.


The Age Factor: End All Be All?


Couples trying to conceive before the age of 30 are between 40%-60% able to become pregnant within the fi rst three months of trying. When women reach 30 years old, they are about half as fertile as their 20-year-old counterparts. This strongly suggests age is a major factor concerning fecundity, the ability of a couple to become pregnant in any given cycle. Women and men both see a decline in their fertility after the age of 35. Male fertility decline is more gradual though. Due to the fi nite number of eggs a woman is born with, about 1 million to 2 million, female fertility has an end point that will be reached, while men can continue to make sperm throughout


26 Natural Nutmeg - January/February 2020


their life. When menarche is reached, the onset of menstruation at puberty and the beginning of a woman’s fertile period of life, only 25% (about 200,000-400,000) of a woman’s eggs remains. The average woman will be down to only about twenty- fi ve thousand remaining eggs at the age of 37. Woman only cycle an average of 451 times in a lifetime and while thousands of eggs degrade each month, only one usually matures to be released during ovulation.


A decline in the number and quality of female eggs can lengthen the time it takes to become pregnant in older women. This often results in an infertility diagnosis after six months for a woman 35 years or older. Considering fecundity decreases as we age, a longer time to conceive naturally is expected as we age. Male sperm quality and quantity also decline as men age, making it more diffi cult for sperm to reach and fertilize an egg. Aside from the natural decline of fertility as we age, there are other factors that increase in occurrence with increasing age and contribute to a further loss of fertility; uterine fi broids, tubal disease, endometriosis, genetic abnormalities, erectile dysfunction, decrease in testicle volume, and enlarged prostate.


Can you become pregnant in advanced


reproductive age? Yes, but it can take much longer than if pregnancy is attempted earlier in life. Does this make the term “geriatric pregnancy” any less offensive? NO!! Let’s take a moment and appreciate the won- derful things our bodies can do as we age without labeling it with terms that make us cringe and think less about ourselves. Understanding it may take more rigorous approaches, effort, and time to conceive in our late 30s or beyond can ease the stress often felt by this age group.


Causes of Infertility Non-age related causes of infertility


are many and can be multi-factorial. Both the female and male partner’s reproductive and overall health needs to be addressed when identifying the reason a couple is falling short on becoming pregnant.


Female Factors: Failure to ovulate,


menstrual cycle problems, structural problems of reproductive system, infec- tion, failure of an egg to mature properly, implantation failure, endometriosis, poly- cystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), primary ovary insuffi ciency (POI), uterine fi broids, and autoimmunity.


Male Factors: Chromosome defects/ disorders, diabetes, hyperprolactinemia, testicle injury, androgen insensitivity, infection, thyroid problems, undescended testicles, varicocele, blockage of transport tubes, vasectomy, erectile dysfunction, and retrograde ejaculation.


Lifestyle Factors: Nutrition, weight,


exercise, sleep, physical and mental stressors, environmental and occupational exposures, substance abuse, and medication.


Other Factors: Obesity: lower sperm count, increase


risk of PCOS Underweight: ovarian dysfunction,


absence of ovulation Excessive exercise: reduced sperm


count, anovulatory cycles (not ovulating) Tobacco/Alcohol/Marijuana/


Illegal drugs: reduces male sperm production and embryo implantation


Stress: increases glucocorticoids that directly decrease testosterone in testes and brain of men, and inhibit gonadotrophin releasing hormone (GnRH) in women


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44