As a guideline, infertility is diagnosed for someone who is 30-35 years and younger when pregnancy does not occur after one year of unprotected intercourse; Or if over 35 years of age pregnancy does not occur after six months of unprotected intercourse. There can be several factors responsible, and the main reason for the age-gap difference is that fertility rapidly declines with increased age.

If you find you fit into this category, you should consult your GP. It may be nothing, but it is advisable to check it out earlier than later.

Age as a factor
Between the age of 17-30 years, the natural conception rate is 17%-23% per monthly cycle. So, it can be estimated that out of 100 young and healthy couples attempting to conceive naturally, in any one month, approximately 17-23 couples (or about 1 in 5) will be successful and the remainder, for that month, will be unsuccessful. This of course means they get to try again the following month.

Age can play a big role in fertility and it is estimated that the chances of having a baby decreases by 3-5% a year after age 30 and even faster after the age of 40.

There are treatments that Dr DeAmbrosis can get you started on that will help improve your chances of becoming pregnant.

Other factors
There are numerous other factors that may be impacting the chances of becoming pregnant. They can be the sole reason or in combination with age factors as well. Some of these are medical and can include tubal damage, endometriosis, pelvic adhesions, cervical factors, cancer and other genetic problems. Others can be considered more lifestyle factors such as anorexia, drug abuse, alcohol abuse, and obesity. Male factors can also be the primary reason and can include sperm count and motility, injury and hormone deficiencies.

Some of these factors can be treated by Dr DeAmbrosis and greatly improve the chances of becoming pregnant.

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