Signs You Can’t Get Pregnant

• Early signs of infertility
• Signs of female infertility
• Signs of male infertility
• Factors that influence fertility and cause infertility
• When to see a doctor for infertility consultation
• How can you boost your chances of pregnancy?
• What can women do to prevent infertility?
• What can men do to prevent infertility?
• How common is infertility?
• Coping with infertility
• How to test if a woman is infertile?
• How to test if a man is infertile?
• What are the chances of getting pregnant when not ovulating?
• What is infertility?

Recognising the early signs of infertility enables you to work on factors that influence fertility, helps you adjust your mindset and expectations, and prepares you for the possibility of fertility treatment.

The most definitive sign is trouble conceiving after one year (or after six months if you’re 35 or older). Therefore, couples under the age of 36 are advised to see a medical specialist if they have been trying to get pregnant for a year. Those over 36 should seek medical assistance if they are not pregnant after 6 months. As such, if you feel like you are struggling to conceive and you are not pregnant after 4-6 months of trying, it is not necessarily uncommon.

The only indicator of infertility is struggling to conceive and not being able to get pregnant. However, certain symptoms suggest infertility and may prompt you to visit a healthcare professional. These signs are different for males and females.

The early signs of infertility in women include:

• Irregular periods.
• Missing periods.
• Extended time between periods (more than 35 days).
• Reduced time between periods (less than 25 days).
• Particularly painful periods.
• Spotting or bleeding between periods.

It is important to note that experiencing one or more of these symptoms does not mean you are infertile. For instance, irregular periods can be caused by stress. However, they may be indicative of conditions associated with fertility, such as endometriosis or polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).

The early signs of infertility in men include:

• Erectile issues - difficulty getting or sustaining an erection.
• Urine that is more cloudy than usual.
• Dry orgasms - orgasms with no semen.
• A lower sex drive.
• Pain or swelling in the testicles.

If low testosterone levels are the cause of infertility, you may experience:

• Sudden mood changes.
• Tiredness.
• Unexplained weight gain.
• Slower facial hair growth (shaving less often).
• Lower sex drive.

As with women, these symptoms are not necessarily indicative of infertility but can suggest it. Male infertility is often symptomless and can only be detected with a medical assessment, in which healthcare professionals will test for things like sperm motility and testosterone levels.

Several factors impact an individual’s fertility. Some are variables you can influence to potentially improve the chances of pregnancy. Others you have no influence over.

Healthcare specialists suggest that under-35s go to a medical professional for a fertility check after 12 months of regular unprotected sex. If you are over 35, you should have a fertility check after six months of regular unprotected sex.

However, you can also see specialists for fertility testing before trying to get pregnant. This may be particularly appealing to aspiring parents over the age of 35 who want to move quickly.

To increase the chances of pregnancy, experts recommended having sex every 1–2 days during your fertile window (the five days leading up to ovulation and the day of ovulation itself). You can track your ovulation cycle with apps or ovulation test kits, making it easier to identify your most fertile days. You should also maintain a healthy weight, avoid smoking, alcohol consumption and caffeine.

What can you do as a couple to increase the likelihood of pregnancy?

If you are wondering why you are still not pregnant even though you had sex during fertile days, it might be the result of one of the listed risk factors such as alcohol, smoking or a lack of exercise. Therefore, the first step is to assess whether you're following the guidance and whether there are actions you can take to improve the likelihood of pregnancy. For instance:

• Ensure you’re having regular unprotected sex.
• Time efforts to coincide with the fertility window.
• Adopt positive habits listed in the lifestyle section above.

What can women do to prevent infertility?

• Calculate your fertility window - the six-day period in a menstrual cycle when you can get pregnant.
• Abstain from alcohol and tobacco.
• Exercise regularly but moderately.
• Limit your exposure to stress.
• Maintain a healthy BMI.

In the case of infertility, healthcare providers may offer one of three principal treatments:

1. Fertility medicines - typically designed to encourage ovulation.
2. Surgical procedures - to repair blockages caused by scarring or tissue growth.
3. Assisted conception - using fertility treatments like IVF and IUI.

What can men do to prevent infertility?

Men can also adopt positive lifestyle changes to improve fertility and sperm quality:

• Abstain from alcohol and tobacco.
• Exercise regularly but moderately.
• Limit your exposure to stress.
• Maintain a healthy BMI.

In the case of infertility, healthcare providers may offer one of three principal treatments:

1. Fertility medicines - to increase testosterone levels, improve ejaculation, or assist with getting and maintaining an erection.
2. Surgical procedures - to repair blockages that prevent sperm from entering the ejaculate.
3. Assisted conception - using fertility treatments like IVF and IUI.

Infertility statistics show that approximately one in six people will experience infertility at some point in their lives (source). For couples, one in seven will have fertility difficulties and struggle to conceive.

In cases of infertility, the cause can be traced to the female partner in around 30-40% of cases and to the male partner in approximately 10-30% of cases. Instances where causes can be traced to both partners account for 15-30% of cases.

Couples who have been attempting to conceive for over three years have a one in four chance of conceiving without fertility treatment within a year.

If you are considering or using fertility treatment to conceive, learn more about IVF success rates and IUI success rates.

People respond to infertility in different ways. Stress, anger, jealousy and anxiety are normal responses and we should allow ourselves to make space for all these emotions. Some find it beneficial to focus on the elements you can control, such as lifestyle factors, and can feel empowered by learning more about the condition or potential fertility treatments.

We have a dedicated guide for coping with infertility if you would like to learn more.

Medical professionals use a range of tests to check for infertility in women:

• BMI measurements to check you’re at a healthy weight.
• Pelvic area examinations to check for infection, tenderness or lumps.
• Blood tests for progesterone to assess ovulation.
• STI tests.
• An ultrasound scan to check the ovaries, uterus and fallopian tubes.
• X-rays to identify blockages in the fallopian tubes.
• Keyhole surgery to visually examine the ovaries, uterus and fallopian tubes with a camera.

Medical professionals check for infertility in men using the following diagnostic tools:

• Examination of the penis and testicles to check for abnormalities in shape.
• Semen analysis to check the sperm count and sperm motility.
• STI tests.

Ovulation happens one day per menstrual cycle, and you can fall pregnant up to five days before that date and 24 hours after. This is because sperm can survive in the body for a maximum of five days, and eggs survive up to a day after ovulation. This gives you a six-day fertility window in which you can conceive. Outside of this window, you cannot get pregnant.

Infertility is a medical condition that means couples cannot conceive a child despite having regular unprotected sex.

There are two main types of infertility:

1. Primary infertility - when an individual who has never previously conceived cannot conceive.
2. Secondary infertility - when an individual who has previously conceived a child cannot conceive.

The term subfertility is used to refer to instances where there is a delay in pregnancy despite regular unprotected sex. Subfertile couples may still conceive naturally, but it often takes longer to do so. Generally, subfertility is used when individuals have been trying to conceive unsuccessfully for less than 12 months. Infertility is used when individuals have been trying unsuccessfully for over 12 months.

The two terms are often used interchangeably, though this is technically incorrect. Some people prefer subfertile because, unlike infertile, it suggests natural conception is possible.

Some couples or individuals also face unexplained infertility (idiopathic infertility). Unexplained infertility is diagnosed when the couple or individual have undergone all appropriate fertility tests and no cause of infertility has been found during those tests.

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