
Before starting any treatment, your reproductive endocrinologist (RE) will typically review your and your partner’s medical histories and examination results to diagnose the reason you’re struggling to conceive. Female infertility can occur for many reasons, but age is a common factor.
How age affects fertility
As women get older, fertility naturally begins to decline. At 30, a healthy woman has around a 20% chance of conceiving each month; by the time she is 40, her chances have dropped to 5%.
As the female reproductive system ages over time, women can expect:
- Fewer eggs
Women are born with all the eggs they’ll ever have: about 300,000 per ovary at birth. These numbers decline at an increasing rate during a woman’s life. It’s estimated that by age 40, there are only around 18,000 eggs remaining. - Poorer egg quality
Aging eggs have a higher chance of having an abnormal number of chromosomes, which can affect the health of embryos. - Irregular ovulation
A woman’s menstrual cycle may become irregular over time, and periods may be shorter or longer than usual. - Gradual exposure to diseases
The reproductive system is exposed to more diseases that can affect fertility, such as endometriosis. - Decreased sex drive
Intercourse may happen less frequently as women get older.
There are also pregnancy health risks to consider. Women over 35 are more likely to develop diabetes or high blood pressure, have a miscarriage, or have a baby born with chromosomal problems—although advances in prenatal care and genetic testing allow many older women to have healthy pregnancies.
If you’re over 35 and hoping to conceive, don’t lose hope—but it's important to act. Today more couples are becoming parents at an older age than ever before. If you’ve been trying for at least 6 months, it’s worth speaking to a doctor about fertility options as soon as possible.
About 25% of female infertility is caused by problems with ovulation
There is a range of fertility treatment available, including surgical procedures, ovulation induction, assisted conception, and assisted reproductive technology (ART) like in-vitro fertilization (IVF). As women get older, they are more likely to need multiple ART cycles to become pregnant—so talking to a doctor and beginning treatments sooner may make the chance of pregnancy more likely.
11 other causes of female infertility
Does multiple sclerosis cause infertility?
According to the National Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Society, there’s no evidence that MS causes fertility challenges or an increase in miscarriages, stillbirths, or birth defects. In fact, studies have shown that pregnancy is no different for women with MS than for those without the disease.
Women with MS also shouldn’t be worried about the effects of pregnancy on their condition. Carrying a baby has actually been shown to reduce MS relapses, especially in the second and third trimesters—although relapse is possible after the baby is born.
Your guide to human reproduction, getting help, and infertility treatment.