Causes of infertility

Being overweight or obese also affects your chances of getting pregnant. In women, more fat produces more oestrogen which results in lack of ovulation and affects the outcome of treatment. In many cases, overweight men have problems with their erection, as well as with sperm quantity and quality. 

Smoking reduces the chances of pregnancy. The chemicals in cigarette smoke have a negative effect on the quality of female eggs and male sperm.

If you want to get pregnant, you should avoid alcohol. This applies not only during pregnancy, but also when you are trying to conceive. In men, alcohol reduces the number of sperm and their motility.

Plenty of exercise and a healthy lifestyle increase the chances of successful pregnancy.

Above all, stress reduces the chance of natural conception and successful IVF.

The chances of getting pregnant decrease with age. The main reason is the declining number and quality of eggs, but also other health problems affecting infertility. In men, the quality of sperm decreases with age.

Another complication can be polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).

This is caused by an imbalance in male and female hormones in the woman's body, whereby a woman's body produces more of the male hormone testosterone than usual. Due to this imbalance, the ovaries do not form follicles, and this can block the release of eggs (ovulation). A typical manifestation of this syndrome is the accumulation of follicles in the form of small cysts in the ovarian cortex.

PCOS is often associated with obesity and diabetes.