How does age affect fertility?
As a woman ages, the many biological changes taking place in her body are responsible for the decrease in her ability to become pregnant and carry a pregnancy to term. There is a direct association between advancing female age and infertility. From age 30 to 35, the chances of becoming pregnant gradually decline and after age 40 there is a sharp decline. The probability of having a baby decreases 3-5% per year after age 30 and even faster after age 40. There are numerous reasons for this decline in fertility including diminished egg quality, decline in the number of eggs produced, and irregularity of ovulation, decreased production of estrogen and progesterone by the ovaries and resistance of the eggs to fertilization. The following general data is reflective of the effects of age on pregnancy rates: 86% of women in the 20-24 year age group, 78% in the 25-29 year age group, 63% in the 30-34 year age group and 52% in the 35-39 year age group, conceive within 12 months. Pregnancy occurri
