Three Reasons Why Preserving Your Fertility Is a Good Idea

Getting pregnant and starting a family is a huge decision.

And while it may be something that you’re interested in doing during later life, you may not feel quite ready for it yet. Alternatively, you could be ready to start a family but certain conditions or treatments mean that you can’t begin the process immediately.

There are many reasons why you may need to consider preserving your fertility. Read on to discover a few examples of why fertility preservation is a process that you might want to consider:

Age

While you may not be ready to conceive a child yet, your body could be in its prime state for becoming pregnant. It is a well-known fact that conceiving a child gets more difficult with age, as fertility declines over the years.

It is easiest for a woman to conceive in her 20s, as this is the age during which women are at the peak of their fertility. During your 20s your eggs are at their healthiest. After this, conception becomes more difficult.

At the age of 40 and over, it is half as likely for a woman to become pregnant. Along with this, there are increased risks of problems occurring during the pregnancy.

However, it is possible to harvest your eggs as part of a preservation treatment, and freeze them for later use. This allows you to wait until you feel as though you are stable and in a comfortable position to raise a family before conceiving, rather than rushing into it or waiting too long.

Developing conditions

There are a number of conditions that can affect fertility in both men and women, and many of them can develop during later life.

Examples of these conditions in women can be; fibroids, which are quite common and occur as a woman ages, premature ovarian failure or thyroid problems.

In men, infertility can be caused by factors including; low sperm quality, which is common as men get older and hypogonadism, which can occur due to use of illegal drugs or a testicle infection.

If you feel at risk from any condition which may have a negative effect on your fertility, you may want to check if there is a history of infertility problems within your family.

Alternatively, it could be a good idea to book a consultation with a fertility expert, or consider methods of preserving fertility.

Cancer treatments

Many different types of drugs and treatments can lead to infertility; one of the main examples being cancer treatment. Chemotherapy and other forms of cancer treatment are known to cause infertility problems, such as early menopause symptoms.

While the chances of a woman becoming infertile after cancer treatment is around 90%, this does not mean she can no longer conceive a child. If fertility is preserved prior to the treatment, her eggs can be harvested and stored to be used later.

If any of these factors are relevant to you, or you’re considering preserving your fertility, it’s a good idea to do as much research as possible. It is also vital to find a clinic that is right for you before booking an initial fertility consultation.