What is fertility?
Generally, 'being fertile' means that you can become pregnant and carry the
pregnancy to term within one year of trying to become pregnant (having sex frequently
without using birth control).
Even if you're not trying to get pregnant, you can be pretty sure you're fertile
if:
- Your cycles are regular (between 26 to 35 days long and about
the same length each month).
- You're in general good health.
- Your periods aren't too heavy, light or painful.
- You don't have any known medical conditions that could interfere
with your fertility (such as blocked or missing fallopian tubes or endometriosis).
- You're not taking any medications or drugs that can interfere
with your fertility.
What can cause problems for me and my fertility?
Although some causes of infertility can’t be controlled, there are a number
of things that you can do to increase the chances that you'll be able to have
a health pregnancy and baby:
- Unhealthy
body weight and poor nutrition
Eating a healthy diet and keeping a healthy body weight can help keep your
reproductive
system working well. It's important to talk to your health care provider about
what your
healthy weight is and also to talk about how to make healthy eating a part
of your lifestyle.
Very underweight women or women who don’t have enough proteins vitamins and
minerals in their diets may have irregular ovulation or periods, which makes
becoming pregnant more difficult. Very overweight women can also have fertility
problems. Also, folic
acid is very important for women who are trying to get pregnant.
- Excessive
exercise
Daily exercise is vital to good health, but sometimes women who exercise strenuously
and frequently or who are training for a sporting event like a marathon may
stop having regular periods and be unable to get pregnant. Women who have
very little body fat or who have a sudden large drop in body fat may have
irregular patterns of menstruation and ovulation, which can affect conception.
- Emotional stress
Our daily lives are often very stressful, which can lead to problems. Eating
well, exercising
regularly, and making sure you leave room in your life for fun can go a long
way towards keeping you healthy and fertile. When you're too stressed, the
part of the brain that regulates ovulation is affected and ovulation can be
disrupted. Mind-body programs that focus on relaxation can reduce stress and
increase the pregnancy rate among women undergoing fertility treatment.
- Drugs
Drugs such as heroin or large, frequent doses of marijuana can interfere with
the hormonal
balance a woman needs for regular ovulation and periods. Nicotine and the
many other
harmful chemicals in cigarettes may interfere with the body's ability to create
estrogen and
may cause a woman's eggs to be more likely to have genetic abnormalities.
Also, the
chemicals in tobacco products can be toxic to the development of sperm, eggs
and embryos.
- Sexually transmitted infections (STIs)
If you get a sexually transmitted infection (STI) like gonorrhea or chlamydia
and don't get treated for it, the infection can cause damage to your reproductive
organs. You may not even know that you have a STI, because not all people
who have STIs have symptoms. This is why it's important to use latex or polyurethane
condoms every time you have sex and make sure to get tested if you think you
may have been exposed to an STI.
- Age
Women over the age of 35 often have problems trying to become pregnant because,
as women age, their ovaries slow down and don't have as many “good” eggs left.
Older women are also more likely to miscarry or to conceive a child with Down
Syndrome. A man’s ability to produce healthy sperm will also decrease as he
ages, which makes it harder for him to get his partner pregnant and makes
birth defects more likely. However, age affects women's fertility much more
dramatically than men's.
- Exposure to extreme temperatures
Exposure to heat (such as from a sauna or hot tub) or excess heat in the scrotal
area can affect a man's fertility by lowering sperm production. Also, men
who have to sit for long hours at their jobs, such as at a desk or in a vehicle,
or men who wear tight underclothes may also have decreased sperm production.
- Exposure
to chemicals and pesticides
Exposure to chemicals or pesticides can lead to a decrease in sperm quality
and quantity,
and can also cause birth defects.
- Endometriosis
Endometriosis
is a condition that can't really be prevented. About ten to fifteen percent
of
women of reproductive age have endometriosis. It can interfere with fertility
by causing internal bleeding, which may form scar tissue covering the ovaries
or blocking the fallopian tubes.
Additional resources:
Infertility Awareness Association of Canada (IAAC)
Natural family planning - Family Planning Victoria
What you need to know about STI (sexually transmitted
infections): How to find what you need to know - Health Canada
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