Infertility is defined as trying to get pregnant (with frequent intercourse) for at least a year with no success. Female infertility, male infertility or a combination of the two affects millions of couples in the United States. An estimated 10 to 18 percent of couples have trouble getting pregnant or having a successful delivery.
Infertility results from female factors about one-third of the time and male factors about one-third of the time. The cause is either unknown or a combination of male and female factors in the remaining cases.
Infertility is a disease in which the ability to get pregnant and give birth to a child is impaired or limited in some way. For heterosexual couples (man and woman), this is usually diagnosed after one year of trying to get pregnant (but may be diagnosed sooner depending on other factors). For heterosexual couples, one third of causes of infertility are due to a male problem, one third are due to a female problems, and one third are due to combination or unknown reasons. When the cause of the infertility is found to come from the female partner, it’s considered female infertility or “female factor” infertility.
A woman who is having difficulty getting pregnant or carrying a pregnancy to term should talk with her health care provider about possible treatments.
Failure to Ovulate
The most common overall cause of female infertility is the failure to ovulate, which occurs in 40% of women with infertility issues.1 Not ovulating can result from several causes, such as:
- Ovarian or gynecological conditions, such as primary ovarian insufficiency (POI) or polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)
- Aging, including “diminished ovarian reserve,” which refers to a low number of eggs in a woman’s ovaries due to normal aging
- Endocrine disorders, such as thyroid disease or problems with the hypothalamus, which affect the hormones produced by the body so that there might be too much or too little of a hormone or group of hormones
- Lifestyle and environmental factors
Infections
Infections can also cause infertility in men and women.
Untreated gonorrhea and chlamydia in women can lead to pelvic inflammatory disease, which might cause scarring that blocks the fallopian tubes. Untreated syphilis increases the risk for a pregnant woman to have a stillbirth. More information about infections that may affect fertility can be found on the sexually transmitted infections (STIs) health topic page.
Chronic infections in the cervix and surgical treatment of cervical lesions associated with human papillomavirus (HPV) infection can also reduce the amount or quality of cervical mucus. Problems with this sticky or slippery substance that collects on the cervix and in the vagina can make it difficult for women to get pregnant.1
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that all boys and girls age 11 or 12 be vaccinated against HPV. Men and women who weren’t vaccinated as preteens can also get the vaccine into their early to mid-20s.
