Can anorexia cause infertility?

Question

I recently read that anorexia can cause infertility. Is that true? If so, is it permanent?

Answer 1

Can anorexia make you infertile?

Yes, in order for a woman to menstruate, become pregnant, and give birth to a healthy baby she needs body fat. Many anorexic girls and women either never get their period or their period stops due to extreme weight loss. The cessation of menstruation, (amenorrhea), can be permanent depending on how long a woman has been suffering from anorexia. But for most women menstruation will start up when they begin to gain weight. Roughly 80% of anorexic women who successfully treat their eating disorder will regain their ability to conceive.

When a woman's percentage of body fat falls below a certain minimum her body doesn't produce the levels of hormones necessary to stimulate ovulation. Rapid weight loss and undernourishment leads a woman's body into a state of emergency and she will not menstruate if she is just barely surviving. For those women who are able to conceive while suffering from anorexia they seriously jeopardize their own health and the health of their fetus. Pregnancy presents enormous strain on a woman's body. As the fetus develops it will take nourishment from the mother. If she suffers from an eating disorder this can seriously deplete her own scant reserves and she may begin to experience the exhaustion and depression that accompany malnourishment. If she brings the pregnancy to full-term she also may lack the energy required to meet the demands of a newborn while remaining healthy herself. Women with eating disorders also have higher rates of miscarriage and an increased risk of giving birth to a low weight baby. Any woman who is struggling with an eating disorder should delay pregnancy until she herself is healthy.




Anorexia and Pregnancy

In order to have a healthy child, the average pregnant woman should gain between 25 and 35 pounds. Telling this to a person with anorexia is like telling a normal person to gain 100 pounds. If you are anorexic, you may have trouble conceiving a baby and carrying it to term. Irregular menstrual cycles and weak bones make it more difficult to conceive. If you are underweight and do not eat the proper variety of foods, you and your baby could be in danger.

Women with eating disorders have higher rates of miscarriages and your baby might be born prematurely which puts them at risk for many medical problems.

All pregnant women should receive proper prenatal care. Those recovering from anorexia or bulimia need special care. You should always take your prenatal vitamins and have regular prenatal visits. You should not exercise unless your doctor says it is okay and it is a good idea to enroll in a prenatal exercise class to be sure you are not overexerting yourself.

Answer 2

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Answer 3

Anorexia And Infertility

Answer 4

Anorexia leads to a decrease in estrogen production by women - much of a woman's estrogen is produced in body fat and whem body fat drops below about 6 or 7%, then a woman can no longer ovulate. This further leads to a cessation or irregularity of menstrual flow.

Once body fat becomes healthy again (for a female 10-15% is both healthy and attractive) then ovulation will begin again and fertility will resume.

Once a female achieves a very low body fat level, studies have shown that she is forever at risk for having a low-birth weight baby - which can cause long term problems for the child. There ARE long-term sequelae of anorexia, but infertility is not one of them.

Answer 5

If you can be pregnant or if you have infertility problems I reccomend to follow this method http://pregnancy.toptips.org

Many factors can cause a couple trouble in conceiving a baby, I'll list a few of the most common ones in women:
Anorexia or other dietary dysfunctions
Lacking amounts of FSH and LH are produced, so ovaries aren't as functional as they could be, and so not many eggs are produced
Stress, causing periods to become irregular
Medications such as cancer treatments,antidepressants, hormone therapy, pain killers, and antipsychotic drugs can all cause temporary infertility.

With the method that I posted above you will be able to get pregnant!

Answer 6

Yes! Anorexia has several harmful consequences, and infertility is one of them. In order to have a normal period, a womans body fat percentage has to be at least 17%. Obviously without a period you cannot have babies. Girls suffering from Anorexia Nervosa have a very low body fat percentage because they don't eat. Once they go into treatment, and get the body fat percentage back to the normal ranges, a normal period often is restored. However, sometimes they need a form of fertility pill to "jump" start that process.
If you know someone suffering from this, its also important to know that infertility is the least of their worries. Stroke, heart attacks, and the literal shut down of the organs is there biggest threat.

Answer 7

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RE:
Can anorexia cause infertility?
I recently read that anorexia can cause infertility. Is that true? If so, is it permanent?

Answer 8

Anorexia may cause problems with infertility. An anorexic woman can get pregnant, but she may have trouble conceiving a baby and carrying it to term. If you are underweight and do not eat the proper variety of foods, you and your baby could be in danger.


Women with eating disorders have higher rates of miscarriages and your baby might be born prematurely which puts them at risk for many medical problems.

Answer 9

Sort of. Some anorexics (not all, but it's extremely common) simply stop menstruating. No periods, no ovulation, no babies. Then again, some pro athletes who are young women, and who are the very picture of health, also experience an interruption in their menstrual cycles due to their training. And people who have chronic, long-standing conditions, not just anorexia but other illnesses as well, can eventually experience not just hormonal imbalances which would affect their fertility, but also organ failure, and death. So yes, it messes up the body's chemistry and organs, and that can definitely affect fertility. This is not to say that getting pregnant would be impossible, just highly unlikely.

Answer 10

Short answer is yes anorexia can cause infertility and yes if it gets to the point it is most likely permanent but in most anorexia cases in which the person seeks and recieves treatment the damage is reversed.