Fertility, or the ability to conceive and have children, changes with age.
Around 1 in 8 couples have trouble getting and staying pregnant, according to the National Infertility Association.
Before pregnancy can occur, fertilization must take place.
Fertilization is when a mans sperm joins up with a womans egg.
(2)
Semen is the substance that comes out of the penis during ejaculation.
It contains millions of tiny sperm cells combined with other fluids.
In fact, only a single sperm will fertilize an egg.
Each connects one of a womans two ovaries to her uterus.
This is called ovulation.
If sperm are present in the fallopian tube when ovulation occurs, fertilization can happen.
Fertilization can take place anywhere from a few hours to a few days after sex.
As women enter their late thirties, theres a steep drop-off in the quantity and quality of remaining eggs.
(5,6) Most women will lose the ability to have a successful pregnancy by their mid-forties.
(3)
Age causes a decrease in male fertility, too.
The decline is less pronounced and appears to happen later in life.
But some men may begin to experience age-related changes in their sperm as early as their mid-to-late forties.
(6)
Common Factors That Can Limit Fertility
Both men and women can have fertility problems.
Some causes of infertility can be reversed.
Medical Factors That Can Limit Fertility
Some causes of infertility in women and men are medical.
Luckily, many of these problems can be fixed with medicine or surgery.
Even for fully fertile couples in their twenties and early thirties, getting pregnant may routinely take several months.
In your late thirties, you may feel you no longer have the luxury of time.
(5,7)
What Is the So-Called Fertile Window?
(5,7)
Typically, a woman ovulates a single egg each month.
During ovulation the egg passes from the ovary into the fallopian tube.
If sperm are present in the fallopian tube, fertilization may happen.
A mans sperm can survive in a womans body for up to five days.
(14)
Ovulation happens a couple of weeks before a woman gets her period.
(7)
Not all women have a 28-day cycle.
These include commercial, water-based lubricants, saliva, and olive oil.
(15)
You may want to opt instead for a personal lubricant thats fertility-friendly.
A reproductive endocrinologist can run tests to determine the cause of infertility and recommend treatments going forward.
A reproductive endocrinologist may also assess ovarian reserve, or the number and quality of remaining eggs.
She completed her residency in obstetrics and gynecology at the SUNY Downstate Medical Center in Brooklyn, New York.
She is currently working on her PhD in medical sociology.
She previously worked as an editor and staff writer at Environmental Health News.
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