What are the causes of female infertility?

A woman's fertility is affected by age, with a rapid decline in fertility after the age of 35. Negative factors also include stress, lack of sleep, smoking and alcohol. However, lower fertility or infertility can also have medical causes:

• Ovarian factor - ovarian dysfunction
• Tubal factor - blocked or missing fallopian tubes
• Endometriosis - parts of the endometrium (uterine mucosa) are located outside the uterine cavity
• Immunological factors - the body produces antibodies to sperm, the egg or embryo
• Genetic causes - often the problem may not be infertility, but IVF will minimise the chances of giving birth to a child with a congenital defect