Female Infertility and Lifestyle Choices

Author: Michael Russell

There is a growing concern about fertility in the whole industrialized world today. Almost 14% of couples have infertility problems. There is a fear that infertility is on the increase and about 40-50% of these problems are associated with the woman. It is amazing to note, however, that there are many things that can affect reproductive health, that we as humans have control over. Lifestyle choices like smoking, alcohol consumption, caffeine healthy/unhealthy eating habits, weight, sexual practices and so forth all have impact on fertility and it is within our ability to control all these.

Most women are unaware as to how important these choices can be with regard to future attempts to conceive. It will be in order to examine these lifestyle choices and how much they affect our reproductive health.

Weight Problems & Fertility

On both sides of the scale, body weight plays a vital role in fertility. Obesity has been associated with infertility and menstrual irregularities. Women who are overweight but without Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) suffer the same problems with ovulation and menstrual anomalies as women with PCOS and in most cases, this is found to be inexplicable medically. But it has been shown that group treatment programs that help obese women with diets and exercise plans have caused a return of fertility in many patients. In overweight women with ovulation and menstrual irregularity, a weight loss of 6.5kg (15lbs) has been shown to restore normal ovulation. Therefore, it is believed that the improvement in insulin resistance achieved with the weight loss has more to do with restoring ovulation than the actual amount of weight loss itself. Several studies have shown that a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 23-30 is considered overweight and a BMI above 30 is said to be obese.

Just as overweight is bad for fertility, extreme underweight has also been shown to cause ovulatory dysfunction and thus infertility. In a woman with anideal body weight (BMI of 20-25)
a moderate weight loss of 10-15% can cause menstrual irregularity and a weight gain in such underweight women has also been shown to restore ovulation and pregnancy in most cases. A BMI of 17.5-20 is considered underweight and below 17.5 is severely underweight.

Smoking & Fertility

Over the years, several reports have consistently reiterated that smoking decreases fertility.

Smokers suffer a risk of menopause1.5-3 years earlier than normal, decreased estrogen with breakthrough bleeding and a shortened luteal phase of the menstrual cycle. All these suggest
that smoking exerts some toxic effects on the follicles directly. Also, nicotine, a component of cigarette smoke has been shown to concentrate in cervical mucous and the metabolites
have also been found in the follicular fluid. This is believed to be responsible for delayed follicular growth and maturation in smokers. Smoking is also associated with an increased
incidence of ectopic pregnancy and an increased spontaneous abortion rate which also suggests it affects the uterine tubes and tubal motility.

Delayed Childbearing & Fertility

Civilization also comes with its consequences. It is common to see women in industrialized nations delaying childbearing to pursue educational and career opportunities till later years.

What most women in this regard do not realize is that aging brings with it many effects that affect almost every part of the body and the reproductive system is not left out. Some of the
effects of age on fertility include:

- Depletion, over time, of the ovarian follicles affecting menstrual and ovulatory regularity - endometriosis has more time to produce scarring of the ovaries and tubes, reducing free
movement of these organs. It can even take the place of the ovarian follicular tissues, if ovarian endometriosis persists and grows.

- Fibroids can slowly grow causing endometrial bleeding that can disrupt implantation sites or even distort the endometrial cavity which affects the ability to carry pregnancy in the early
stages.

- Abdominal adhesions from other intra abdominal surgery or ruptured ovarian cysts can also affect tubal motility, required to sweep the ovaries and gather an ovulated egg.

Alcohol and Infertility

The total effects of alcohol consumption on fertility may not be clear, but what is known for certain is that alcohol abuse does constitute a risk of infertility . In a survey, women with high
alcohol use reported more menstrual and gynaecological surgery. Alcohol has also been shown to alter estrogen and progesterone levels and also cause anovulation (menstruation without
ovulation). But what is not clear, however, is how much alcohol consumption is bad for fertility, or alternatively, how much is safe. It is established that during pregnancy, an average of
2 drinks per day or more can produce fetal alcohol syndrome birth defects. Another study showed that a consumption of more than 100 grams of alcohol a week (1 drink per day) is associated with 60% increase in ovulation difficulties.

Other Fertility Factors

Also, increased caffeine consumption has been shown to affect the ability to become pregnant and carry the pregnancy. This is because caffeine clearance from the body is decreased during the luteal phase. Animal and human research data also show an increased risk of spontaneous abortions with increased caffeine use and a decreased fetal growth during pregnancy with
increased caffeine intake. Consumption of three or less servings of coffee per day may be harmless, but more than this amount i.e. greater than 300mg per day may lead to fertility problems.

Women with Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID) stand a greater risk of infertility and untreated STDs especially gonorrhoea and chlamydia, are the major cause of PID.

The choices we make everyday have a positive or negative impact on our ability to conceive.

Decide to make the right decisions today and enjoy a better reproductive health.

About the author:
Michael Russell

Your Independent guide to Infertility