other factors

A variety of other factors can also have a negative influence on female fertility. This includes a variety of infections, ‘stress’ and serious diseases, such as cancer. The influence of lifestyle on fertility will be discussed in a separate section.

sexually transmitted diseases (STDs)
chlamydia
pelvic inflammatory disease - PID
stress
sexual problems
serious diseases

sexually transmitted diseases (STDs)

Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) are one of the most common causes of infertility. For most people, AIDS, syphilis or gonorrhoea spring to mind when they hear of STDs. But there are a variety of other STDs about which people are less aware which can have an affect upon fertility. Aside from the very common chlamydia infections, this includes ureaplasma, mycoplasma and the human papilloma virus.

Many of the sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) that are most damaging to fertility also create the least amount of discomfort or symptoms. In these cases, women often don’t experience any problems that would normally alert them to the possibility of an STD. One particularly important symptom of a variety of STDs that should always be checked out medically is an abnormal secretion.

Gonorrhoea and chlamydia can cause permanent damage, especially if they are not treated and lead to infection in the pelvis (Pelvic Inflammatory Disease – PID). PID can result in abdominal pain, and is one of the largest causes of infertility in women of a sexually mature age. The more often a woman gets PID, the greater her risk of infertility. Many STDs are treatable with antibiotics.

chlamydia

Chlamydia trachomatis is the cause of chlamydia infections. This infection is spread via vaginal, oral or anal sex and is one of the most widespread STDs. In women, symptoms can include abdominal pains, pain while urinating, abnormal vaginal secretions and sometimes even abnormal vaginal blood loss. Chlamydia sufferers, however, often have no symptoms at all and as a result this infection can remain undetected and, consequently, untreated. If so, it can cause permanent damage to a woman and eventually lead to a pelvic infection (Pelvic Inflammatory Disease - PID), one of the most common causes of infertility in sexually-mature women.

pelvic inflammatory disease - PID

PID refers to all infections in the pelvic organs. Untreated PID can lead to infertility. PID can be caused by the presence of external bacteria, such as mounting gonorrhoea or chlamydia infections. STDs are thus an important cause of PID and in turn infertility.

stress

Stress is interpreted and experienced differently by everyone. By definition, stress is any situation that is threatening or damaging. Acute chronic stress in women can lead to depression and changes in the immune system or sleeping patterns. While there is only minimal evidence that stress is directly related to reduced fertility, extremely high stress levels in women can cause changes in hormonal levels. These altered hormonal levels can lead to irregular ovulation or fallopian tube spasms - both potential contributors to infertility.

sexual problems

Problems of a sexual nature can also influence fertility. Because of this, your doctor will routinely ask you about your sex life when investigating the cause of fertility problems. If sexual problems are an issue then depending on the origin of the problem, a sexologist may be able to provide help. Making love “on command” due to the desire to have children often puts added pressure on both partners in their sexual relationship, adding to or creating sexual problems.

serious diseases

Serious diseases such as cancer can have an enormous influence upon many aspects of a woman’s life. Unfortunately, cancer can also affect the fertility of a woman directly if the reproductive organs are involved or indirectly through the side effects of cancer treatments.

With cancer of the ovaries, uterus or endometrium (the lining of the womb), it may be necessary to surgically remove essential parts of a woman’s reproductive system. While this surgery may be necessary to save a woman’s life, the fact that she can no longer become pregnant or successfully complete a pregnancy can be devastating.

The treatment used to destroy cancer can also influence female fertility. Chemotherapy and radiotherapy can damage or destroy cells in the ovaries or damage the lining of the womb and the fallopian tubes.

On the positive side, such infertility is sometimes only a temporary problem, especially in younger patients. In addition, doctors and the medical world in general are increasingly taking into account the desire of cancer patients to retain their fertility. Fertilised embryos can be frozen and saved for future use.

While the freezing or cryopreservation of sperm and embryos is carried out regularly and successfully, there has unfortunately not been as much success in relation to eggs or ovarian tissue. Ongoing research is investigating ways to improve the success of freezing unfertilised egg cells or ovarian tissue prior to cancer treatment, so that cancer patients can retain their fertility. In the future, many cancer patients will be able to plan this before undergoing their treatment.