Fertility and Life Style

Besides age, couples should be aware that behaviour can have an impact on their reproductive health. If they wait till they are ready to have a family, it may be too late.

Smoking, excessive drinking and drug addiction can affect fertility. These can cause miscarriages and abnormal babies. Nicotine and other harmful chemicals in the cigarettes can cause menses to be irregular and menopause to set in earlier. Alcohol, cigarettes and marijuana can also affect the quality and quantity of the sperm. Environmental pollutants such as lead, mercury and DDT in pesticides are harmful to sperm.

Sexually transmitted diseases such as genital warts, Chlamydia, gonorrhea, herpes and syphilis can damage the reproductive system and cause infertility. Obesity can also cause irregular menses in women and sperm abnormalities in menses.

Stress too can lead to infertility. In women, the menstruation can become irregular and gradually absent. In men, erectile dysfunction (impotence) and reduced sperm count and quality become more common. Stress can also suppress the sexual desire thereby reducing the frequency to have sexual intercourse. This is a common phenomenon in affluent society like Singapore.