Many things can affect fertility for men and women. Some factors can affect how easily a woman ovulates, gets pregnant, or gives birth to a baby. Men have risk factors, too. Many things can affect the health of their sperm.

Risk factors for women

These are things that can affect a woman’s fertility:

• Age. Women in their late 30s and older are less fertile than women in their early 20s.

• Endometriosis

• Chronic diseases such as diabetes, lupus, arthritis, hypertension, and asthma

• Hormone imbalance

• Smoking cigarettes

• Drinking alcohol

• Contact with workplace hazards or toxins

• Too much body fat or very low body fat

• Abnormal Pap smears treated with cryosurgery or cone biopsy

• DES taken by their mother during pregnancy

• Sexually transmitted infections

• Fallopian tube disease

• Multiple miscarriages

• Fibroids

• Pelvic surgery

• Abnormalities of the uterus

Risk factors for men

These are things that can affect a man’s fertility:

• History of prostatitis, genital infection, or sexually transmitted infections

• Regular contact with radiation, radioactivity, or welding

• Regular contact with toxins such as lead

• Regular contact with ethylene dibromide or vinyl chloride

• Cigarette or marijuana smoke

• Heavy alcohol drinking

• Exposure of the genitals to high temperatures

• Hernia repair

• Undescended testicles

• Opioid-like medicines that affect the central nervous system

• Mumps after puberty 

• A genetic problem

• A problem that was present at birth (congenital)