Health Tip: Female Infertility

(HealthDay News) -- About 12 percent of women in the United States aged 15-44 have difficulty getting pregnant or carrying a baby to term, the U.S. government says.

Here is a list of risk factors for infertility, courtesy of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services:

• Age, usually 35 or older.
• Stress.
• An unhealthy diet and/or body weight.
• Excessive exercise or training.
• Alcohol and tobacco use.
• Sexually transmitted disease.
• Any health condition that causes hormone levels to change.

-- Diana Kohnle

Last Updated: Nov. 3, 2006

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