Women want to know what they can do to preserve their fertility, and they must understand that there are many causes of infertility. The ability of women to have children is influenced by various factors, including age, lifestyle, stress, health conditions, environmental factors, and much more. The good news is that women can proactively take steps to preserve their fertility when they may need those eggs.
What is Fertility?
The capacity to have children naturally is known as fertility. It is a measure of reproductive potential. The social egg freezing process involves retrieving eggs from a woman’s ovaries and freezing them for future use. This procedure can preserve fertility in women at risk of losing their fertility due to age, medical treatment, or other factors.
Social egg freezing can give these women the option to have children later in life, when they may be more ready emotionally and financially.
The success rate of social egg freezing depends on many factors, including the woman’s age at the time of retrieval, the number of eggs retrieved, and the quality of the eggs, added Dr. Ian Hardy.
Dr. Hardy completed his Internal Medicine Internship at The Christ Hospital in Cincinnati, Ohio, and his Residency in Gynecology and Obstetrics at Stanford University Medical Center. Dr. Hardy’s Fellowship in Reproductive Endocrinology & Infertility was at Harvard Medical School’s Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts.
A woman’s fertility peaks in her 20s and starts to decline in her 30s. By the time she reaches her 40s, her fertility has decreased significantly. However, it is still possible for a woman in her 40s to conceive naturally.
A woman’s fertility can be affected by various factors, including her age, lifestyle, health, and medications.
Age: As a woman gets older, her fertility declines. The eggs in her ovaries are aging, and fewer can be fertilized.
Lifestyle: A healthy lifestyle is essential for maintaining fertility. Confident lifestyle choices, such as smoking cigarettes or using drugs, can damage the eggs and make them less likely to be fertilized. Fertility can also be impacted by weight, both excess and deficit.
Health: Some medical conditions can cause infertility. These include endometriosis, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), premature ovarian failure, and thyroid disorders. Treatment for these conditions may improve fertility.
Medications: Some medications can interfere with ovulation or prevent the implantation of a fertilized egg in the uterus. If you are taking any medications, talk to your doctor about whether they could affect your fertility.
How to Preserve a Woman’s Fertility
There are many essential factors to preserve women’s fertility. Many things can affect a woman’s fertility, including her age, health, lifestyle choices, and environment. To have a baby, a woman’s eggs must be healthy and able to be fertilized by a sperm.
Age is the most significant factor affecting fertility. All of a woman’s eggs are present at birth, and as she ages, so do her eggs. The chance of having a baby decreases as a woman gets older.
Health is another important factor in fertility. Things like sexually transmitted infections (STIs), obesity, eating disorders, and excessive alcohol use can all impact a woman’s ability to conceive.
Lifestyle choices can also affect fertility. Smoking cigarettes, the use of recreational drugs, along with high levels of stress can all make it more difficult to become pregnant.
The environment can also play a role in fertility. Exposure to certain chemicals or pollutants has been linked with decreased fertility in both men and women.
What are the Adverse Effects of Fertility Damage?
There are several adverse effects of fertility damage, which can include:
- Reduced ovarian reserve
- Poor egg quality
- Increased risk of miscarriage and congenital disabilities
- Impaired uterine lining function
- Shortened reproductive lifespan.
Reduced ovarian reserve refers to the loss of eggs in the ovaries, which can lead to early menopause. Poor woman’s egg quality can result in genetic abnormalities and increases the risk of miscarriage and congenital disabilities.
A fertilized egg’s ability to implant can be compromised by compromised uterine lining performance, and shortened reproductive lifespan means that a woman may not be able to procreate later in life. These factors can significantly impact a woman’s ability to have children.
Why is it Important to Preserve Women’s Fertility?
It is essential to preserve women’s fertility because it allows them to have children when they are ready. Additionally, preserving fertility will enable women to have children later in life. By freezing their eggs or embryos, women can put their reproductive plans on hold until they are ready to start a family.
Many reasons a woman might want to delay starting a family. Perhaps she is not ready emotionally or financially. She may want to focus on her career and establish herself professionally before becoming a mother. For this reason, preserving fertility gives women the power to choose when they have children – a significant gift.