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Female fertility: Why lifestyle choices count

Female fertility can be affected by your lifestyle choices. Find out what steps you can take to keep your reproductive system healthy.

By Mayo Clinic staff

If you're hoping to get pregnant now or in the future, you may wonder about your fertility and whether you can improve it. Some factors may be beyond your control — such as medical issues that affect female fertility — but that isn't the end of the story. Your lifestyle choices can affect your fertility, too. Find out what steps you can take to promote and protect your fertility.

What is female fertility?

Female fertility is a woman's ability to conceive a biological child. You and your partner may question your ability to have a baby or your fertility if you've been trying to get pregnant with frequent, unprotected sex for at least one year with no success.

What causes female fertility problems?

Various medical issues can contribute to female fertility problems, including:

  • Ovulation disorders
  • Damaged fallopian tubes
  • Endometriosis — when the endometrium, which normally lines the uterus, grows in other places as well
  • Uterine problems

Age also plays a role in fertility. Delaying pregnancy can decrease the likelihood that you'll be able to conceive. As you reach your 30s, your eggs may decline in quality and you may ovulate less frequently, even if you're still having regular periods. An older woman's eggs also aren't fertilized as easily as a younger woman's eggs.

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References
  1. What am I doing that can cause infertility? Female risk factors. American Society for Reproductive Medicine. http://www.protectyourfertility.org/femalerisks.html. Accessed Nov. 30, 2009.
  2. Loret de Mola JR. Obesity and its relationship to infertility in men and women. Obstetrics and Gynecology Clinics of North America. 2009;36:336.
  3. Pasquali R, et al. Obesity and infertility. Current Opinion in Endocrinology, Diabetes and Obesity. 2007;14:482.
  4. Gudmunsdottir SL, et al. Physical activity and fertility in women: The north-trondelag health study. Human Reproduction. 2009;24:3196.
  5. Homan GF, et al. The impact of lifestyle factors on reproductive performance in the general population and those undergoing infertility treatment: A review. Human Reproduction Update. 2007;13:209.
  6. Kelly-Weeder S, et al. Modifiable risk factors for impaired fertility in women: What nurse practitioners need to know. Journal of the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners. 2006;18:268.
  7. Hornstein MD, et al. Optimizing natural fertility in couples planning pregnancy. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Dec. 4, 2009.
  8. Norman RJ, et al. The effects of caffeine on fertility and on pregnancy outcomes. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Dec. 4, 2009.
  9. Nuthalapaty FS, et al. The impact of obesity on fertility and pregnancy. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Dec. 4, 2009.
  10. Goldman RH. Occupational and environmental risks to reproduction in females. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Dec. 4, 2009.
  11. If you're having trouble getting pregnant. March of Dimes. http://www.marchofdimes.com/pnhec/173_14308.asp. Accessed Dec. 4, 2009.
  12. Pregnancy after 35. March of Dimes. http://www.marchofdimes.com/professionals/14332_1155.asp. Accessed Dec. 4, 2009.
  13. Later childbearing. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. http://www.acog.org/publications/patient_education/bp060.cfm. Accessed Dec. 4, 2009.
  14. DeCherney AH, et al. Current Diagnosis & Treatment: Obstetrics & Gynecology. New York, N.Y.: McGraw-Hill Companies Inc.; 2007:1.
  15. Schorge JO, et al. Williams Gynecology. New York, N.Y.: McGraw-Hill Companies Inc.; 2008:1.
  16. Hassan MAM, et al. Negative lifestyle is associated with a significant reduction in fecundity. Fertility and Sterility. 2004;81:384.
MY01095 March 9, 2010

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