Do You Work The ‘Infertility Shift?’
If you work the night shift research shows you may have a much harder time…
With media and medical emphasis on the link between age and fertility, many of us are led to believe that infertility is limited to older couples. We are continually exposed to news publications telling us that women over 35 are the norm for experiencing diminishing fertility.
But as a couple in your 20’s or early 30’s having trouble trouble getting pregnant, it can often come as a surprise to discover that difficulty conceiving for younger women is not so uncommon.
The Infertility Factor?
According to the Centre for Disease Control (USA, in the 2002 National Survey of Family Growth) 10% of women reported seeking help for infertility at least once in the past. Also, 7% of married couples in the survey reported that they had engaged in 12 months of unprotected sex and had not become conceived.
So what if you’re a woman in your 20’s? According to the American Society of Reproductive Medicine’s report on Age and Fertility, 7% of women between the ages of 20 and 24 are infertile. Between the ages of 25 and 29, that number increases to 9%, and in the early 30’s, between ages 30 and 34, infertility among married women increases to 15%.
For women between the ages of 35 and 39, rates are much higher: 22% of married couples, according to the American Society of Reproductive Medicine’s report, are affected. There’s no doubt that age plays a role in fertility, but age is not the only factor.
Male Factor Fertility
Something else couples forget about is that up to 50% of cases include male factor infertility. While age does have an effect on male fertility, although the most common causes of male factor infertility are NOT related to age.
Clearly, infertility affects women and men of all ages. So, no, you can’t be too young for infertility. Fertility problems can occur at any age. Stay clued up! Stay safe!
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