Huge study:
diseases that deny you reproduction
when diagnosed in the twenties!
A new study found that 74 health problems are associated with a lack of childbearing later in life, when diagnosed with it at a young age.
Researchers at Harvard and Oxford University determined that behavioral
problems, such as alcoholism and schizophrenia, had the greatest impact on childlessness among men diagnosed in their 20s.
Women were found not to have children most likely due to autoimmune
diseases and infections such as multiple sclerosis, cardiovascular
disorders and type 2 diabetes, when diagnosed in their early 20s.
The long list consists of 74 different cases that increase
the likelihood of men's or women's infertility later in life, including
behavioural disorders and disabilities such as schizophrenia
cerebral palsy
alcoholism, drugs and antisocial personality disorder.
Other non-mental conditions that
have also been associated with increased rates of childlessness include
high blood pressure, blood clotting disorders, vaginal infections
and irregular periods of menstruation.
The most powerful factors influencing future reproductive ability included
birth defects and other disorders from birth, mental health problems
and disorders affecting the nervous system, such as MS and arthritis in children.
In the study, researchers analysed data from 1.4 million women -- born between 1956 and 1973 -- and 1.1 million men -- born between 1956 and 1968.
Women aged between 16 and 20 when diagnosed with obesity were
more likely to be infertile than women diagnosed in early adulthood.
The researchers said mental problems
were the most impactful among men, while metabolic and endocrine
problems such as diabetes were the biggest impact on
women's reproductive rates.
Dr Andrea Jana
Director of the Institute of Molecular Medicine Finland (FIMM),
said: "By assessing the role of many early life diseases in childlessness in
2.5 million people across Finland and Sweden, this study paves
the way for a better understanding of infertility."
Dr. Oxing Liu
the lead author of the study and a researcher at the University of
Helsinki, said:
"Various factors increase the rates of childlessness worldwide
where postponing reproduction is a significant contributor that
may increase the risk of infertility."