Five Reasons Why Malaysian Women Can't Conceive, And What Can Be Done About Them

Infertility cuts deep into the heart.

- Lim Teck Choon

It hurts for a couple who long for a child, but can’t conceive despite trying so hard, and the hurt is made more intense by the fact that the joy of pregnancy and childbirth is all around them. Other couples share stories, photos, and Facebook posts of their parenthood experiences, making a couple’s inability to conceive seem even more unfair.

Yet, the door to parenthood may not be closed permanently. As fertility treatments become more advanced, we are starting to have more control over our chances of conceiving a child. There are still many things that are up to chance, but we also have more options than before to address difficulties in conceiving. This month, fertility specialist Dr Agilan Arjunan takes a look at some of the main causes of infertility among Malaysian women.

AGE: IT’S MORE THAN JUST A NUMBER

Dr Agilan had touched on this in recent articles but it’s worth bringing up again because a woman’s advancing age remains the most common cause of her difficulties in conceiving a child.

• A woman’s most fertile period is usually during her mid-20s.

• Her fertility begins to decline after the age of 30.

However, starting a family in the early twenties is not an option for every woman. A woman these days is more likely to be able to commit to starting a family in her thirties or even forties, a time when her fertility is on a decline.

What can we do about this?

A fertility specialist can run a test called the antiMüllerian test to estimate how many primordial follicles remain in a woman’s ovaries. For this test, the woman only needs to provide a sample of her blood. Once the test result is in, the fertility specialist can advise on the next best step.