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Fertility
Ask an Expert: Fertility
Question Archive
Why does fertility go down with age?
Dr. S. L. Tan, MD, MBBS, FRCOG, FRCSC, FACOG, MMed(O&G), MBA's Response
There are several biological factors that come into play.
To start, a woman is born with all the eggs that she will ever have. As you age, so do your eggs. A forty-year-old woman will have forty-year-old eggs. This may mean that they don't fertilize as easily as before.
Also, as eggs age they are more prone to abnormal division or fertilization (i.e., high risk of genetic abnormalities). Fortunately, most of these abnormal fertilized eggs will spontaneously abort. However, this translates into increased miscarriage rates and therefore reduced fertility. The uterus may also change in a way that makes it more difficult for a fertilized egg to implant.
As women age, hormone levels change. This can lead to irregular ovulation and it may become difficult to time intercourse appropriately.
Finally a good solution to preserve fertility is by egg freezing or oocyte vitrification. The success rate of freezing is 85% and the clinical pregnancy rate is 45%, comparable to fresh eggs.
Ask your fertility question now
- Besides age, what are some other factors that can affect a man's fertility?
- Can a below-normal body fat percentage affect fertility?
- Do hair loss treatments such as Rogaine® and Propecia® affect fertility in males? I have thinning hair and would like to start using some treatments, but I am trying to conceive with my partner and am concerned these products will affect my fertility.
- Does slow sperm mean I cannot conceive at all?
- Does stress cause infertility? Should we go on a "fertility vacation"?
- How can I figure out when I'm ovulating?
- How can I get a referral to ISIS?
- How do I know when I'm ovulating?
- How long should we attempt pregnancy before seeking help?
- How thick should the endometrium be to increase the chances of implantation?
- I have a low sperm count of 6 million per millilitre, with motility at 50%. Is artificial insemination the way to go?
- I have polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Can I still get pregnant if I have this problem?
- I heard that I may be infertile because I was on Depo-Provera® for the last 5 years. I have been off of it for 3 months now. Does this mean I will not be able to conceive again?
- I know that age affects a woman's fertility. Is it the same for men?
- I was told fibroids are natural and considered "the wrinkles" of aging in women. Is this true and is this one reason fertility declines with age?
- I've had two miscarriages. Is there anything that can help prevent this from happening again? Are we at an increased risk of having problems conceiving or maintaining a pregnancy?
- If I have a period every month does that mean I am ovulating?
- If it's hard to conceive over age 35, why are so many movie stars able to?
- Is it easier to get pregnant once you've already had one child?
- Is it true that my chances of becoming pregnant drop significantly after age 35?
- Is it true that using contraception can cause infertility?
- Is there a particular position during intercourse that is more likely to result in pregnancy?
- My husband has been referred for Botox® injections for pain management. We are trying to get pregnant. I know the risk factors for Botox® and pregnant women, but are there any known side effects on sperm while using Botox®?
- My husband has oligospermia (3 million sperm count). What does that mean? Is it still possible to conceive naturally, since we really need only one sperm to fertilize an egg?
- My husband travels a lot for business, but we're trying to have a baby. How often should we be having intercourse?
- My partner and I want to start a family within the next year. What can I do now to help me get pregnant more easily?
- One of my fallopian tubes is blocked, and the other one has fluid going up, so the eggs cannot get into the uterus. What are my options to get pregnant?
- We are about to undergo IVF for the first time, but I was wondering if there are any genetic tests that my husband or I should have before we move forward. I have heard that all Caucasian women should be tested to see if they carry the gene for cystic fibrosis.
- We are trying to get pregnant with no luck. I don't have a family doctor and usually go to a walk-in clinic. What should I do?
- We just got the results from my husband's semen analysis. We were told that the sperm are just a little slow but that his count is quite high. Can sperm count really be too high? Does this mean we cannot have a baby without IUI or IVF?
- We think there might be a problem. Who do we go see?
- What are fibroids? How would I know if I have fibroids? What symptoms do fibroids cause?
- What are my chances of getting pregnant? What are the risk factors affecting fertility?
- What assistance does Health Canada provide to Canadians for infertility treatment?
- What is a basal body temperature (BBT) chart? How does it work?
- What is polycystic ovarian syndrome?
- What is the pregnancy success rate of IVF after the third IVF failure for a 28-year-old female with unexplained reasons for not conceiving?
- What success rates may be expected from various treatments such as clomiphene citrate alone, clomiphene citrate with intrauterine insemination, FSH alone, FSH with intrauterine insemination or IVF?
- What system does ISIS use to assess egg quality?
- Will taking testosterone supplements by injection cause permanent infertility in men?
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