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What Is Secondary Infertility?
(continued)

Other possibilities that may cause secondary infertility in women:

  • Your Age: Fertility decreases with age. If you had your first child at 20 and are now trying to get pregnant again at 35, your risk of infertility went from 4.5% to 32%, an increase of 8-fold just from aging 15 years.
  • Your Weight: Excessively high or low, body fat can affect ovulation and fertility
  • Your Diet: Starvation diets, binging and purging, and even yo-yo dieting affect ovulation. If you have difficulty eating regularly or normally, you should consult a dietician, a nutritionist, or a psychologist to get your diet under control.
  • General Health: Numerous chronic diseases, such as diabetes, lupus, arthritis, hypertension, or asthma can affect fertility, as can the medications used to treat them.
  • Your Cervix: Cervical treatments for abnormal pap smears such as cryosurgery or cone biopsy
  • Your Hormones: Hormonal imbalances may cause menstrual irregularties, especially if associated with periods exceeding six days, cycles shorter than 24 days or more than 35 days apart; irregular, unpredictable cycles; heavy periods; heavy cramping; excessive hair or acne on face, chest, abdomen or back. One extreme hormonal problem that may cause secondary infertility is Premature Ovarian Failure (POF) or premature menopause, which is menopause for any reason under age 40. For women in their 40's, menopause itself may become a factor; the average age of menopause is 51, but it can start much earlier. Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS), hypothyroidism, or elevated prolactin levels (often from benign pituitary tumors) are other relatively common hormonal causes of secondary infertility.
  • Surgeries: Complications of a D & C (dilation and curetage) after an abortion or a miscarriage can cause secondary infertility. Complications of other abdominal or pelvic surgeries (or the problems which necessitated those surgeries) may cause scarring which can block your fallopian tubes and prevent pregnancy.
  • Your Uterus: Uterine fibroid growth may obstruct a pregnancy and cause a miscarriage.
  • IUD use can increase the risk of STD's in women; this could be a fertility factor.
  • Douching or using certain genital lubricants may also impair fertility.
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     Unless you are using a technique to identify your most fertile days, to optimize fertility, you should have intercourse every other day starting a few days before ovulation. 


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