Related Articles
Although unlikely to be the sole cause of infertility, stress and anxiety can make it difficult for a woman to get pregnant
Although unlikely to be the sole cause of infertility, stress and anxiety can make it difficult for a woman to get pregnant. Studies have shown that depression can make a woman twice as likely to have infertility problems, and anxiety can lengthen the time needed to conceive.
Stress can trigger other diseases such as thyroid imbalances, flare-ups in autoimmune conditions, and frequent infections, all of which can affect fertility.
What is infertility?
Infertility is defined as the inability to conceive after 12 months or more of unprotected sexual activity. Fertility in women decreases with age, especially when they reach their mid-30s, but infertility can affect both men and women if something is wrong with one or both reproductive systems.
In order to conceive a baby, the following factors must be aligned:
- The man must be able to produce healthy sperm
- The woman must be able to produce healthy eggs
- The fallopian tubes must be open in order to allow the sperm to reach the egg
- The perm must be able to fertilize the egg
- The embryo must be in good condition
If any problems occur with one of these factors, infertility can occur.
How does stress affect infertility?
When stressed, the body releases certain hormones such as cortisol and epinephrine that can lead to physiological changes and affect reproductive health.
According to a 2018 study by the Boston University School of Public Health, women with high levels of stress had decreased fertility than those with lower levels of stress. Moreover, researchers discovered that there was a reduced chance of conception in cases where one partner was much more stressed than the other. However, other studies have suggested that stress may not be directly linked to infertility, stress can lead to unhealthy habits that may indirectly impact fertility:
- Sleeping too much or too little
- Binge eating or overeating unhealthy foods
- Consuming excessive quantities of alcohol, a sudden increase in caffeine consumption, etc.
Stress can also lower the quality of sperm, which could have repercussions for male fertility. According to a study by the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, men who had two or more stressful life events had a lower percentage of sperm motility and sperm with normal morphology than those who had no stressful life events in the previous year. The study pointed out that this finding was true even after considering other factors that could affect sperm quality, such as age, other health issues, and a history of reproductive health issues.
What can cause infertility?
Infertility can be caused by various factors and are not always easy to pinpoint. Common causes of fertility include:
- Blockage in the reproductive tract: Blockage in the reproductive tract, whether due to injury or infection, may result in problems with ejaculation. This can occur in the tubes that carry sperm such as ejaculatory ducts and seminal vesicles.
- Physical changes: Varicoceles is a disorder in which the testicles develop large veins that cause them to overheat, affecting the amount and morphology of sperm. Similarly, testicular trauma can reduce sperm production and result in a lower sperm count.
- Hormonal factors: Hormones produced by the hypothalamus and pituitary glands in the brain regulate testicular function. Problems such as excessive production of prolactin may indirectly cause low or no sperm production. Prolactin is often produced due to an underlying tumor or other disorders that impair the function of the brain or pituitary gland.
- Genetic disorders: Klinefelter syndrome, Y chromosome microdeletion, myotonic dystrophy, etc. can cause low sperm production.
- Infections: Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) is a bacterial infection caused by gonorrhea and chlamydia and can affect the uterus, fallopian tubes, ovaries, or all three. PID leads to the formation of scar tissue between organs, which causes chronic pelvic pain and increases the risk of an ectopic pregnancy, in which the fertilized egg implants outside the uterus.
- Endometriosis: Endometriosis occurs when uterine tissue implants outside the uterus, such as in the belly or on other reproductive organs. This misplaced tissue responds to hormone changes during the menstrual cycle and accumulates, degrades, and bleeds. Scar tissue that forms can affect fertility.
- Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS): PCOS is a hormonal imbalance that causes women to ovulate infrequently or not at all. Some women with PCOS have high testosterone levels, which can lead to acne, excessive hair growth, and infertility.
- Diminished ovarian reserve: Women are born with a fixed number of eggs, and this egg count naturally decreases with age. Diminished ovarian reserve occurs when the ovaries contain fewer eggs than expected at a given age due to congenital, medicinal, surgical, or unknown causes.
