A new study has found that stress can decrease fertility in women. When it comes to wanting to start a family, there are many couples out there who are struggling to conceive. They are trying every month and using all different kinds of tracking systems, to no avail. Some visit fertility clinics and undergo tests and treatments to try and get the joyous addition to their family.
Getting pregnant and maintaining a pregnancy is not as easy as the TV shows and movies make it appear to be. Infertility is a problem that affects a lot of women, and since it is a rising concern, there are no shortages of tests being done to try and find out why.
According to Newswire and Science Daily, a study was done that is showing that stress can decrease fertility in women. This study may be providing just another insight into fertility issues and may offer some forms of “treatment” for women who are suffering.
The study was completed by researchers from Boston University School of Public Health and it was published in the American Journal of Epidemiology. An interesting aspect that the study found was that stress only seemed to affect fertility in women and not men. There was no effect on men’s fertility when they had increased stress.
The study looked at 4,769 women and 1,272 men who did not have a history of infertility. The individuals in the trial had also not been trying to conceive for the last 6 months. They used data from the Pregnancy Study Online, which follows couples for one year or until they become pregnant, whichever they have come first. They found that stress was an indication of decreased fertility. Stress affects a woman’s menstrual cycle, and it is linked to the infrequency of intimacy in a couple's relationship.
Stress has always played a part in fertility, countless women who are struggling to become pregnant have lost count of the times they are told to 'just relax' when they are trying to conceive.
However, it now turns out that there is truth to this statement, as burdensome as it can be to hear when you are trying to get pregnant. It is clear that there may be even more studies underway to find ways to help women conceive, and this study may show the benefits of a woman finding ways to alleviate stress in her life. Furthermore, it may be worth a conversation with her medical provider.
Sources: Newswire, Science Daily, BMC