Areas of Care

Female Fertility

Female fertility is influenced by a range of factors that affect the ability to conceive and maintain a healthy pregnancy.

These may include hormonal health, age, egg quantity and quality, reproductive anatomy, and overall health.

Understanding these factors can help identify potential barriers to conception and guide appropriate investigation and treatment.

A woman’s fertility can be affected by:

Age or ovarian aging

A woman's age is the single most important factor influencing her chance of conceiving. Over the age of 35, fertility begins to decline. Not only does the number of oocytes decreases, the quality of the oocytes also diminishes. At the age of 41, the chance of a successful pregnancy falls to just 4%.

Premature aging or depletion of the ovarian follicles. Risk factors include smoking, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, family history and autoimmune disease.

Ovulation problems

There are medical conditions that affect the release of eggs from the ovaries. These include hormonal disorders such as polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome (PMOS), disorders of the hypothalamus/pituitary, hyperprolactinemia, thyroid problems (hyperthyroidism or hypothyroidism) and congenital adrenal hyperplasia.

Fallopian tube damage or blockage

These narrow tubes can easily be blocked or damaged, which could interfere with the sperm reaching the oocyte. Causes include endometriosis, tubal ligation, ectopic pregnancy and pelvic inflammatory disease.

Endometriosis

Endometriosis occurs when tissue that normally lines the inside of the uterus grows outside the uterus. This tissue responds to changes in hormones during the menstrual cycle, resulting in the tissue breaking down and bleeding. This can cause pain and may result in the formation of scar tissue and adhesions.

Uterine or cervical abnormalities

These include fibroids, polyps and septum. Fibroids or uterine myomas occur more frequently with advancing age. A fibroid is a non-cancerous growth of the muscle in the uterus.

Cancer and other medical treatment

Some forms of medical treatment, particularly chemotherapy and radiotherapy, can have an adverse effect on fertility in women.

Unexplained infertility

There are a number of assisted reproductive technology (ART) treatments available to help overcome difficulty conceiving. Read more about fertility and treatment options.