Infertility

Infertility: Frequently Asked Questions

Here are some frequently asked questions related to infertility.

Q: What should I do if I think I am infertile?

A: If you’ve had more than a year of regular sex without birth control and you haven’t achieved a pregnancy, it may be time to see a doctor. If a year hasn’t passed yet, a good strategy is to plan to have sex during the days the woman is ovulating. To find the days when she ovulates, a woman can take her temperature by mouth or in the vagina with special thermometers available in drugstores. Her temperature will rise slightly on the days she ovulates.

Q: My husband and I are having trouble conceiving a child. Should he try wearing loose underwear?

A: Tight fitting underwear as well as hot tubs and saunas decrease a man’s sperm count because they raise the temperature of the testes. It might be wise to try loose underwear, and refrain from using hot tubs and saunas.

Q: If I’m over 40, can I have children?

A: A woman’s fertility declines markedly at age 40, but in many cases, she may still have children. Men’s sperm begins to decrease after age 25, but they can stay fertile into their 60s and 70s.

Q: Can marijuana cause infertility?

A: Marijuana, as well as nicotine and other legal and illegal drugs, can be a cause of infertility. If you smoke marijuana and you’re trying to have a child, it’s best to abstain.

Q: I’ve heard that assisted reproductive techniques usually result in multiple births, such as twins, triplets or more. Is this true?

A: The great majority – about two thirds – of assisted reproductive births are single births. The rest are multiple births, with most being twins. Only six percent of these births are triplets or more.