According to the World Health Organization (WHO), roughly 1 in 6 couple worldwide will struggle to get pregnant, and researchers believe the problem is only getting worse.
How Do You Define Infertility?
There are two parameters when it comes to defining infertility, and the timing in which typical interventions are initiated. For women under 35, infertility is defined as having at least 12 months of unprotected intercourse without getting pregnant. For women over 35, the number drops to 6 months. This is because women who are older are less likely to achieve pregnancy each month than someone younger. We'll talk about why, and what you can do to support your reproductive health and increase your chances of conception later in this post.
Who Does Infertility Affect?
Infertility is not biased; it affects every culture and every social class, however, there are some statistics that are hard to look over. Southern and Eastern Europe and Eastern Asia have some of the lowest fertility rates in the world, with South Korea having the lowest. Developing countries as a whole have an average of 1 in 4 couples experiencing infertility worldwide.
Women and men are roughly equal when it comes to infertility. When looking at couples with infertility, roughly 1/3 are caused by female issues, 1/3 by male issues and 1/3 by a combination of factors from both the man and the woman.
Another important parameter is that of age. Women in their early to mid-20s have a 25-30% chance of getting pregnant each cycle. This percentage declines with age, and after 40, the percentage is reduced to only about 5% chance of pregnancy with each cycle. This is due to the fact that women are born with a set amount of eggs that starts to decrease even before a woman's first period. Rapid egg loss happens in the mid-30s. While this decrease in the number of eggs is a large factor in the lower likelihood of conception each cycle, it's not the only factor. As we age, we're exposed to more and more toxins, which affect the quality of those eggs, including their genetic code. While men are constantly making sperm, this same idea of declining sperm quality is a real factor, and men over the age of 40 can have a more difficult time getting pregnant, or having a baby with a genetic disorder.
What Causes Infertility?
There are a number of factors that play into infertility, some of which we already discussed regarding age, egg quantity, and sperm and egg quality, but some other factors include:
Alcohol. Heavy alcohol consumption can contribute to low testosterone production, which affects libido and sperm quality. Binge drinking in women (4 drinks or more) is associated with menstrual irregularities, and lower AMH, a hormone that helps determine a woman's egg count.
Smoking and recreational drug use. Smoking cigarettes, marijuana, or using any other drugs, including prescription opioids, all can cause serious problems to a baby’s development, and should be stopped prior to conception when possible.
Endocrine Disruptors. Just like the name suggests, endocrine disruptors are a group of toxins that interfere with the endocrine system, the carefully balanced system that manages our body's hormones. They affect our bodies by increasing and decreasing the production of hormones and interfering with hormone signaling. Endocrine disruptors include BPA, phthalates, pesticides, flame retardants and many more. Read more on my blog HERE.
Poor Diet. Quality sperm and eggs are required for conception, however the typical Western diet is high in saturated fat, low in fiber, and low in nutritional value. All of these factors contribute to poor quality reproductive cells.
Radiation. Radiation has been shown to lower sperm count and testosterone levels in men, and contribute to ovarian sufficiency in women, a condition that causes the woman's ovaries to stop functioning normally before the age of 40.
Heavy metals. Heavy metals like lead and copper are shown to cause changes in sperm motility, and contribute to poor quality of both sperm and eggs.
Certain prescription medications. There are a wide range of prescription medications that can contribute to infertility and miscarriage risk, including certain antibiotics and blood pressure medications. That's why it's incredibly important to talk with your doctor about your desires for starting or growing your family before actively trying to conceive, so you can work together to find a treatment plan that is both effective and safe.
What to do if You're Infertile?
While many doctors reach for their prescription pads once you reach that 12 month mark of trying to conceive, there are actually a number of things you can do to improve your fertility naturally. One of the best things you can do to support your fertility, and improve egg and sperm quality is to eat an anti-inflammatory diet like the Mediterranean diet. The Mediterranean diet promotes lean protein like chicken and fish, healthy fats found in olive oil, avocado, seeds, nuts and fatty fish like salmon and sardines, antioxidants and plenty of vitamins and minerals from colorful fruits and vegetables, unprocessed grains, lentils, beans, and a limited amount of red meats, sweets, alcohol, and processed foods. You can read more about the Mediterranean diet HERE.
You can also support your body with moderate exercise most days of the week to achieve or maintain a healthy weight. This will support healthy hormone levels, and help fight against inflammation and insulin resistance, two of the main contributors to infertility.
Detoxing your body safely from heavy metals, and limiting your exposure to endocrine disruptors is another great way to support your fertility. One of the main culprits is BPA, which can be found in the linings of canned foods, and plastic water bottles, collanders and food containers. Swapping these for metal, and choosing fresh and frozen foods over canned is an easy way to reduce your exposure.
FREEBIE ALERT!
If you want more support in your fertility journey, check out my free module on how to chart your cycles, and identify ovulation and the fertile window with confidence HERE.
References
CCRM Fertility, (June, 2022). Is infertility on the rise? Retrieved from: https://www.ccrmivf.com/blog/is-infertility-on-the-rise/
Johns Hopkins Medicine, (June, 2022). U.S. Infertility Rate Plateaus. Retrieved from: https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/news/newsroom/news-releases/2022/06/us-infertility-rate-plateaus
Van Heertum, K., & Rossi, B. (2017). Alcohol and fertility: how much is too much?. Fertility research and practice, 3, 10. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40738-017-0037-x
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