Fertility
How fertility changes with age, what fertility tests can and can't tell you, egg freezing, IUI and IVF, when to see a specialist, and fertility for men.
- 1How fertility changes with ageFertility falls gradually from the early 30s and faster after the mid-30s, because both the number and the quality of eggs decline. Healthy habits help overall health but don't stop this.
- 2What fertility tests can and can't tell youAMH and other ovarian reserve tests estimate how many eggs are left and how someone might respond to IVF. They don't predict whether someone can get pregnant naturally right now.
- 3When to see a specialistSee a fertility specialist after 12 months of trying under 35, after 6 months from 35 to 40, and right away over 40 or with a known problem like missing periods.
- 4Egg freezingEgg freezing saves eggs at today's age for later. It isn't a guarantee of a baby. Success depends mostly on age at freezing and how many eggs are frozen; experts say it works best before 38.
- 5IUI and IVFIUI places prepared sperm in the uterus around ovulation. IVF fertilizes eggs in a lab and places an embryo in the uterus. IVF is more effective and more involved, and both work less well with age.
- 6Fertility for menAbout half of couples with infertility have a male factor. Testing starts with a semen analysis. Men's fertility declines later than women's, and taking testosterone can shut down sperm production.
- 7For loved onesTrying to get pregnant, infertility and fertility treatment are hard, physically and emotionally. Share the work, get checked too, and skip the advice.
- QuizA short quiz on this section. Try again for new questions.
Where can I learn more?
- ACOG Committee Statement 22: Anticipatory counseling regarding ovarian-factor fertility decline (2025)
- ReproductiveFacts (ASRM): Defining infertility
- ReproductiveFacts (ASRM): Does my age affect my fertility?
- ReproductiveFacts (ASRM): Ovarian reserve, predicting fertility potential in women
- ACOG Committee Opinion 773: The use of antimüllerian hormone in women not seeking fertility care
- Association between biomarkers of ovarian reserve and infertility among older women of reproductive age, JAMA 2017
- ReproductiveFacts (ASRM): Male fertility evaluation
- ReproductiveFacts (ASRM): Can I freeze my eggs to use later if I'm not sick?
- ReproductiveFacts (ASRM): Intrauterine insemination (IUI)
- ReproductiveFacts (ASRM): IVF, what are the risks?
- Cleveland Clinic: Sperm