I'm so confused

Hello. I am a 24 year old female who has not ever been pregnant. I feel as though I can not have kids becasue me and my boyfriend have been intimate with one another for 10 months now and we dont use condoms. Is there some type of test that I can get done or are there signs that I should be looken for that will let me know whether or not I can have children? I love kids and I want so bad to ahve one of my own. Please help.

Thank You

[Keith Downing, MD]

Hello,

Infertility is defined as the inability to conceive after one year of intercourse without contraception. So you have yet to meet that criteria.  This definition has deep historical roots; it was based in part upon a study of 5574 English and American women engaging in unprotected intercourse who ultimately conceived between 1946 and 1956. Among these women, 50 percent conceived within three months, 72 percent within six months, and 85 percent within 12 months.

So keep trying.  If after 12 months you have yet to conceive see an ob/gyn to initiate an infertility work up.  

Also I want to pass along some information on how to optimize your chances of conceiving.  A woman with a regular menstrual cycle ovulates near the middle of her cycle.  In a 28 day cycle this would be around day 14.  The probability of becoming pregnant after unprotected intercourse is 15% 3 days before ovulation, 30% 1-2 days before ovulation, 12% the day of ovulation, and <1% 1-2 days after ovulation.   Having intercourse every other day around the time of ovulation will increase your chances of conceiving.  

Lastly, the most common causes of infertility are male factor (your partner can undergo a semen analysis to determine this), ovulation abnormalities, and tubal factor.  These can be evaluated by your general ob/gyn.


Best regards,

Dr. Downing