Commonly, the first symptom of infertility is the realization that, after 12 months or more of having unprotected sexual intercourse, a woman has not fallen pregnant. Many women wonder why they can’t fall pregnant when they have a regular menstrual cycle, are in good health, have none of the risk factors and enjoy a healthy sex life.

Some people have earlier warning signs - there are certain risk factors that, if present, may be the cause of infertility. Here are some questions for you and your partner that might indicate if you have any of these risk factors. If you answer ‘yes’ to any one of these, don’t wait; see your doctor rather than trying for months to get pregnant.

Do you have regular menstrual cycles?

An irregular cycle is one of the most common symptoms of infertility. Your cycle should be considered irregular or abnormal if it is longer than 35 days, shorter than 24 days or your periods are unpredictable. Irregular cycles are often the symptom of ovulation problems.

Is your monthly period ‘abnormal’?

The medically-accepted length of bleeding is between 3 and 7 days; this is what doctors refer to as ‘normal’. Other symptoms of your periods that doctors consider abnormal include very light bleeding, excessive or heavy bleeding, bleeding patterns that change regularly, severe menstrual cramps and bleeding for less than 3 days or more than 7 days.

There are also medical conditions that affect menstruation and infertility, including endometriosis, polycystic ovarian syndrome or PCOS, pelvic inflammatory disease or PID and uterine fibroids or polyps.

Are you 35 years old or older?

Woman over the age of 35 have a higher chance of having fertility problems. After age 30, the chances of conceiving during a single cycle are 20%; after age 40, this drops to about 5%.

Your partner - does he have ejaculatory or impotence problems?

Problems with male fertility are not always as obvious as with the female. The most common causes of infertility in men is low sperm count or inhibited sperm mobility, and these can only be determined by analyzing the sperm. However, sexual dysfunction can be an indicator of infertility.

Are you underweight or overweight?

Both of these body weight issues can be the cause of infertility, as can poor diet, extreme dieting and excessive exercise.

To check whether your weight is in the healthy range for your age and height, calculate your BMI (Body Mass Index)

Have you experienced recurrent miscarriages?

Most people consider infertility to be only a problem with getting pregnant, but the inability to sustain a pregnancy is also an infertility problem. If you have had three or more miscarriages in succession, the problem will be consider one of infertility.

Do either of you suffer from a chronic illness?

Sometimes it is the illness or disease itself which causes infertility; sometimes it is the treatment. The ones that most often cause fertility problems include hypertension, thyroid disorders and diabetes. Drugs that are linked to infertility include antidepressants, insulin, thyroid hormones and some medications used to treat peptic ulcers and hypertension.

Have either of you ever been treated for cancer?

There are cancer treatments which may lead to infertility, especially radiation therapy in the abdominal area.

Do either of you smoke, drink or have a history of STD?

Smoking is linked with conception problems in women; heavy drinking is linked with infertility; STDs can lead to infertility.