Fertilty & Infertilty FAQ

When is a woman’s most fertile time?

• A woman’s most fertile time is during ovulation. Ovulation typically occurs within day 11 through day 21 of a woman’s cycle.
• Counting from the first day of a woman’s last period, day 1 is the first day a woman starts bleeding, and the 11th day is most likely the earliest day a woman will ovulate. The 21st day is most likely the last. A woman’s period comes between the 28th and 32nd day of the cycle. This pattern may differ slightly with each woman depending on a variety of factors.

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Is infertility a medical problem related to the woman only?

• Infertility is a medical condition that is found in both men and women, and men and women are affected almost equally.
• With men, declining sperm counts, testicular abnormalities, and decreased reach of climax are common causes of infertility. Shop Products to Help Increase Sperm Count
• With women, the most common causes are tubal blockage, endometriosis, PCOS, and advanced maternal age which affects egg quality/quantity. Shop Products to Help Female Reproductive Health

How common is infertility?

• Infertility is a growing issue for many couples. Infertility affects 6.1 million American couples (approximately 10% of American couples of childbearing age).
• 25% of infertile couples have more than one cause of infertility.
• The current increase in infertility might be the result of more women choosing to delay starting a family until later in life, when their reproductive health can be affected.
• The increase of some STD’s such as Chlamydia can result in conditions such as blocked tubes, preventing pregnancy from occurring.

How long should a couple try to conceive before going to the doctor?

• The American Society of Reproductive Medicine recommends that a woman consult her health care provider if she is: 1) under 35 years old and has been trying to conceive for more than 12 months, or 2) over 35 years old and has been trying to conceive for over 6 months.

Can you find out earlier if you have fertility issues?

• You always have the option of asking your health care provider to conduct a complete examination to determine if either partner has possible fertility issues. You can also choose to do at-home fertility testing, available for both men and women.

Does the position chosen for intercourse affect fertility?

• After ejaculation, enough sperm will remain inside the woman to fertilize an egg. Therefore, there is no significant advantage of one intercourse position over another.

What about fertility treatments?

• Fertility treatments can increase the likelihood of getting pregnant.
• Treatments can include lifestyle changes, vitamins and supplements, surgery, medication, or assisted reproduction. Shop Fertility Supplements Now
• There are several treatments under assisted reproduction such as in vitro fertilization (IVF), gamete intrafallopian transfer (GIFT), and zygote intrafallopian transfer (ZIFT). All these procedures involve harvesting a number of eggs in the hope of fertilizing at least one egg, and then insert the fertilized egg(s) into the uterus.

Last updated: September 2, 2016 at 8:15 am

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Compiled using information from the following sources:

1. Centers for Disease Control (CDC)

http://cdc.gov/reproductivehealth

1. RESOLVE: The National Infertiltiy Association

http://www.resolve.org