What Increases Your Risk for Infertility?

What Increases a Man’s Risk of Infertility?

A man’s overall health and lifestyle can affect his sperm quality and quantity. Factors that may reduce the number of sperm or the quality of sperm he produces include:

• age
• illegal, or street, drugs
• certain over-the-counter medicines
• heavy or frequent alcohol use
• cigarette smoking
• environmental toxins, including pesticides, lead, and pollution
• chemotherapy or radiation treatments (for cancer)
• health problems, such as high blood pressure, diabetes, kidney disease, or hormone problems

What Increases a Woman’s Risk of Infertility?

Anovulation and infertility in women can be caused by a number of factors, which include:

• age
• illegal, or street, drugs
• certain over-the-counter medicines
• heavy or frequent alcohol use
• cigarette smoking
• stress and fatigue
• athletic training (such as marathon or weight-lifting training)
• sexually transmitted infections
• health problems, such as high blood pressure and diabetes
• hormonal problems, such as polycystic ovarian syndrome and primary ovarian insufficiency