How do I know if I am affected by infertility?

How do I know if I am affected by infertility? Infertility is hard to pinpoint, which is exactly why so many people don’t know that they are dealing with it until it is too late. However, there are signs and symptoms you can look for to tip you off to a potential fertility issue. One of the biggest warning signs for potential infertility is irregular menstrual cycles. “Irregular” can be defined in many ways including having too few periods, only experiencing a period once every few months, or having drawn-out, heavy periods that occur for longer than seven days. These occurrences point to a malfunction in your reproductive system that can possibly lead to infertility. Women are born with a finite number of eggs, unlike men who create more sperm as needed. Once a woman’s ovarian reserve (her allotted amount of eggs) is used up, it cannot be replenished. Because of this, it is so important to speak up if you are experiencing irregular or exceptionally painful periods. A simple blood test that looks at your anti-mullerian hormone level can test your ovarian reserve to see if it falls within normal limits for someone your age. Painful and irregular periods are not the only signs for potential infertility, so be your own biggest advocate and bring these questions up at your next OB-GYN visit, or see a specialist if the issues persist. Robin Poe-Zeigler, MD,