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Female fertility: Why lifestyle choices count

Female fertility can be affected by your lifestyle choices. Consider simple steps to keep your reproductive system healthy.

By Mayo Clinic staff

If you're hoping to get pregnant now or in the future, you might wonder about your fertility and whether you can improve it. Some factors might 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.

Here's what you need to know 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 might question your fertility if you've been trying to get pregnant with frequent, unprotected sex for at least one year — or at least six months if you're older than 35 — with no success.

What causes female fertility problems?

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

  • Conditions affecting ovulation
  • Conditions affecting the uterus
  • Blockage of the fallopian tubes, often caused by pelvic inflammatory disease — an infection of the female reproductive organs
  • Endometriosis — a condition in which tissue that normally lines the inside of the uterus (endometrium) grows outside the uterus

Age also plays a role in female fertility. Delaying pregnancy can decrease the likelihood that you'll be able to conceive. An older woman's eggs aren't fertilized as easily as a younger woman's eggs — and might not develop normally even after fertilization occurs.

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References
  1. Hornstein MD, et al. Optimizing natural fertility in couples planning pregnancy. http://www.uptodate.com/index. Accessed Jan. 30, 2012.
  2. Kuohung W, et al. Causes of female infertility. http://www.uptodate.com/index. Accessed Jan. 30, 2012.
  3. Norman RJ, et al. The effects of caffeine on fertility and on pregnancy outcomes. http://www.uptodate.com/index. Accessed Jan. 30, 2012.
  4. Goldman RH. Occupational and environmental risks to reproduction in females. http://www.uptodate.com/index. Accessed Jan. 30, 2012.
  5. Louis GM, et al. Stress reduces conception probabilities across the fertile window: Evidence in support of relaxation. Fertility and Sterility. 2011;95:2184.
  6. Protect your fertility: A guide for prevention. American Society for Reproductive Medicine. http://www.reproductivefacts.org/publications/index.aspx?id=6557. Assessed Feb. 1, 2012.
  7. Later childbearing. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. http://www.acog.org/~/media/For%20Patients/faq060.ashx?dmc=1&ts=20120201T1448390862. Accessed Feb. 1, 2012.
  8. Rachon, et al. Ovarian function and obesity - Interrelationship, impact on women's reproductive lifespan and treatment options. Molecular and Cellular Endocrinology. 2010;316:172.
  9. Waylen AL, et al. Effect of cigarette smoking upon reproductive hormones in women of reproductive age: A retrospective analysis. Reproductive Biomedicine Online. 2010;20:861.
  10. Gudmunsdottir SL, et al. Physical activity and fertility in women: The north-trondelag health study. Human Reproduction. 2009;24:3196.
  11. Jensen JR (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. Feb. 17, 2012.
MY01095 May 5, 2012

© 1998-2013 Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research (MFMER). All rights reserved. A single copy of these materials may be reprinted for noncommercial personal use only. "Mayo," "Mayo Clinic," "MayoClinic.com," "EmbodyHealth," "Enhance your life," and the triple-shield Mayo Clinic logo are trademarks of Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research.

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