According to the Canadian Fertility and Andrology Society, about one in six Canadians struggle with infertility. While age, stress, the environment, and lifestyle factors can all play a role in conception, in about a quarter of infertility cases, the cause is unknown.
No matter where you’re at on your journey to conceive, it’s vital to remember that struggles with infertility are not anyone’s “fault”, there are so many moving parts and things to consider when trying to have a baby, and it’s important to keep a balanced approach.On occasion, there is such a thing as too much information. That being said, learning more about the potential causes or influencing factors of infertility can be empowering, not only on an individual level, but on a broader scientific scale.
Here are a few surprising things that may have an impact on your reproductive health and attempts to conceive.
1) Air Pollution and Quality of Sperm
According to a study in the National Library of Medicine, air pollution is associated with a higher infertility risk in men. This correlation was addressed more recently in a Danish study published in the BMJ. In the latter study, it was found that exposure to certain levels of fine particulate matter, or PM2.5 (a form of air pollution) is associated with a 24% increased risk to infertility in men aged 30 to 45.
In an article for Global News, the senior author of this study, Allan Jensen, says the following:
“What we think is happening is you inhale the very small particles, and then these very small and tiny particles can transfer from the air from the lung tissue into the bloodstream. And then they can have a direct toxic effect on the sperm cells.”
Indoor sources of PM2.5 include burning candles and incense, woodworking, fireplaces, wood stoves, furnaces and tobacco smoke, while outdoor sources are vehicle emissions, industry, and wood burning. Also important to note: Climate change is expected to worsen air quality and air pollution.
2) Noise Pollution and Female Infertility
In the same study, women between the ages of 35 to 45 years old were found to be at a greater risk of infertility when they were exposed to noise pollution, such as transportation, car horns, construction, and other traffic sounds.
Jensen says this may be because noise induces stress and trouble sleeping.
Cardiovascular disease, diabetes, sleep disturbance and tinnitus are all linked to noise and air pollution. Now that it’s clear these factors also affect fertility, more regulation of noise and air pollution may be prioritized.
3) Ozempic Babies
GLP-1 medications such as Ozempic and Wegovy (which are designed to treat diabetes) have become increasingly popular in the past few years for other purposes, such as weight loss. While there is limited data on the subject, and these medications should never be taken without careful consideration and monitoring by a doctor, the rise of anecdotal evidence relating to so-called “Ozempic babies” suggests there may be a connection between usage of these GLP-1 drugs and increased fertility in women.
Because illnesses such as PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome) interfere with ovulation and can cause irregular periods, when women of a certain weight lose about 10% of their body mass, their periods may become more regular, and imbalanced estrogen may also improve. It’s important to note that little is known about how these injections affect pregnancy and developing babies long term, and it is still recommended to stop using these medications two months before trying to get pregnant.
4) Sleep Apnea
In a study for the NIH, researchers were able to show that obstructive sleep apnea is more commonly seen in infertile women, and that OSA increases the odds that a woman will struggle with infertility. More data is needed to see if treating sleep apnea could possibly increase the likelihood of conception among these women.
5) Oral Health
Periodontal disease (PD) has been shown to increase the risk of preterm birth, preeclampsia and low birth rate. In a study for the NIH, it is suggested that PD may also be associated with infertility, although more research on the topic needs to be conducted to be sure.
Conclusion
There are many things to consider when trying to conceive, and many factors that may influence your experience. Some of them are well-known, while others are more obscure and surprising. It’s important to be cautious about the information you’re taking in - always consider how much you can actually control (and how much you simply can’t). Remember: being overly concerned with every possibility can lead to stress, and stress is also bad for fertility. Of course, education and advocacy are both incredibly important. New discoveries can help individuals on their personal fertility journeys, while having a larger impact on our culture as whole.