A woman may be infertile because of hormone imbalances or problems in the reproductive tract.
Factors that can cause or add to female infertility include:
- Hormone imbalances that prevent the release of an egg from an ovary or the implantation of a fertilized egg in the lining of the uterus.
- Endometriosis: a condition in which tissue that normally lines the uterus (the endometrium) is found outside the uterus.
- Infections such as pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), an infection of the female reproductive organs that may be caused by sexually transmitted diseases such as chlamydia, or other causes such as appendicitis, which can result in scarring of the internal pelvic organs.
- Adhesions: bands of scar tissue from previous surgery, endometriosis, or infection that bind together tissues inside the abdomen.
- Extra weight (more than 30% over ideal body weight), which may cause a problem with ovulation.
- Too little or poor quality of cervical mucus.
- Certain medical conditions
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