Health 101: Stress and Fertility

Can infertility cause stress?

Being unable to get pregnant when you want to can be a huge source of stress, anxiety, and depression, says Dr. Domar. One Japanese study found that about 40 percent of women with fertility problems were clinically anxious or depressed before they even started getting treated for infertility.

"Most people who cannot get pregnant have an actual physical explanation," says Dr. Domar. "But as month after month goes by, feelings of stress, anxiety, and depression often kick in. So even if the physical cause of infertility is treated medically -- say, surgery for endometriosis -- it's possible that high levels of stress can still make getting pregnant more difficult."