Preserving your fertility

What lifestyle factors can affect a woman’s fertility?

* Smoking. Smoking can interfere with the ability of cells in the ovaries to make oestrogen, and can cause a woman’s eggs to be more prone to genetic abnormalities. Smoking can also accelerate the depletion of eggs, leading to earlier menopause. Even when women who smoke do become pregnant, smoking increases the risk of miscarriage, low birth weight, and premature birth.

* Body weight. Being either underweight or overweight can decrease your fertility. Body fat levels 10 to 15 percent below normal can interfere with hormone production, leading to problems with ovulation and irregular or absent menstrual periods. Women most at risk of this are those with eating disorders, those on a very low-calorie diet, and those who exercise very intensely, such as marathon runners or dancers. Conversely, body fat levels 10 to 15 percent above normal can overload the body with oestrogen, interfering with the reproductive cycle. In addition, increased weight can lead to increased insulin levels which can cause the ovaries to stop releasing eggs.

 * Sexually transmitted diseases. STDs can cause scarring and damage to the fallopian tubes, causing blockages that interfere with conception.

     * Alcohol. Alcohol use increases the risk of giving birth to a child with a birth defect.

     * Age. A woman’s fertility begins to decline in her late 20s when egg quality and quantity start to drop. This decline becomes more rapid after age 35. By their mid 40s, most women are unable to become pregnant with their own eggs.

What lifestyle factors can affect a man’s fertility?

* Smoking, drugs and alcohol. Drugs such as steroids, tobacco, marijuana, and alcohol can lead to abnormally shaped sperm, decreased sperm motility, and decreased sperm production.

* Sexually transmitted diseases. STDs can damage the organs that transport sperm through the reproductive tract, leading to infertility.

* Prescription drugs. Some drugs for heart disease and high blood pressure can cause infertility in men.

* High temperatures. Prolonged exposure to toxic substances on the job, such as pesticides, radioactivity, x-rays, and electromagnetic or microwave emissions, can lead to sperm abnormalities.

* Lubricants. Some lubricants used during intercourse, such as petroleum jelly or vaginal creams, may affect sperm quality. Talk to your doctor about safe choices if you are trying to conceive.

* Age. Although the effect of aging isn’t as pronounced in men as it is in women, age is a factor in male fertility. Sperm motility and shape are both affected by a man’s age.