Many people have never heard of secondary infertility. This
is a case where women have one child or more, but experience infertility with
subsequent attempts at pregnancy. For some women, they also experienced
infertility with the first pregnancy, but not all do. Here are some reasons for
secondary infertility.
Lifestyle Factors
If women gain weight, begin smoking, or drinking, women can
find that they suddenly cannot conceive as well. The biggest factor here is
probably weight gain since most people do not start smoking or drinking late in
life. This may be different for different people, though.
Aging
Aging slows many processes in our bodies and reproduction is
one of them. Women often do not ovulate as often as they age and may begin to
enter into early menopause without knowing. Medications that are common as we
get older can also hinder fertility.
Conditions Present Before
While women with endometriosis and PCOS do not always
experience infertility, they sometimes experience secondary infertility. When
their condition was the only factor, they had little to no issue conceiving,
but as soon as age and weight become a factor fertility becomes compromised.
PCOS and diabetes mellitus 2 are also commonly seen together in patients and this
can impact many body systems. Pregnancy can be much more complicated for
diabetics.
Male Infertility
Just as women, men often have more complications as they get
older. They can also experience secondary infertility due to decreased spermcount and motility. Lifestyle factors can also affect this. If he is a smoker
and has been for many years, this can impact his sperm count and motility
greatly.
Unknown Reasons
No one knows why some women have secondary infertility
rather than primary. Some women have both for no clear reason. If you have had
any fertility concerns, you may have them again.
Final Thoughts
Before trying to conceive, you should always talk to your doctor—males and females alike. If you have underlying risk factors, your doctor will talk to you about how to combat or minimize those. He or she will also talk to you about how long you should try to conceive before seeking fertility help and specialists. If you are not healthy enough for pregnancy, your doctor can refer you for services or help you prepare your body for conception. If you begin trying and cannot get pregnant, revisit your doctor so that he or she may determine why. Good luck.
