What it means
A person's natural ability to conceive a child. It depends on healthy eggs and sperm, open fallopian tubes, a uterus that can hold a pregnancy, and the right hormone levels. Fertility falls with age, especially for women after their mid-30s. Infertility usually means no pregnancy after 12 months of regular sex without birth control (6 months if the woman is 35 or older).
For the nurse
Ask about fertility plans before drugs or treatments that can harm it, such as chemotherapy or radiation, so the client can consider options like freezing eggs or sperm.
At a glance
| Spanish | fertilidad |
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Related terms
menarche
A person's first menstrual period.
luteinizing hormone
A hormone from the pituitary gland that triggers ovulation in women and testosterone production in men.
teratogen
Anything a pregnant person is exposed to that can cause birth defects in the developing baby.