# Is infertility most-commonly (or even often) caused by promiscuity? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 10, 2016, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-infertility-most-commonly-or-even-often-caused-by-promiscuity/754463 "2016-05-10T03:40:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![KarlGrenze](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/dbc845/32.png) [@KarlGrenze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGrenze)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2016, 9:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-infertility-most-commonly-or-even-often-caused-by-promiscuity/754463/21 "2016-05-15T09:05:59Z")
> [@spamforbrains](#): > > The CDC does not even mention pelvic inflammatory disease or STDs as major causes of infertility. It talks about age, polycystic ovarian syndrome, smoking, stress, and weight gain. > > [http://www.cdc.gov/reproductivehealth/infertility/](http://www.cdc.gov/reproductivehealth/infertility/) > > Abortions (at least, safe ones conducted by doctors) almost never lead to infertility. That’s a lie the pro-lifers pass around. A coat-hanger abortion, yes, that can. As a primary cause, not directly, but it does mention it as a top cause of tubal issues, which is related to infertility, and as some increase factors for infertility /end of page). I do believe that, because the presence of STD overall as a proportion of sexually active people has diminished/has treatment, the effect they may have in fertility has decreased. ---
**Author:** ![watchwolf49](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e9c0ed/32.png) [@watchwolf49](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/watchwolf49)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2016, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-infertility-most-commonly-or-even-often-caused-by-promiscuity/754463/22 "2016-05-15T15:11:15Z")
I’d have thought abstinence would be a leading cause of infertility. ---
**Author:** ![UberArchetype](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/2bfe46/32.png) [@UberArchetype](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UberArchetype)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2016, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-infertility-most-commonly-or-even-often-caused-by-promiscuity/754463/23 "2016-05-15T15:47:54Z")
> [@andrea\_green](#): > > An elderly… doctor… recently made the statement that "Most modern infertility is caused by female promiscuity… Statement made by the elderly are commonly rooted in outmoded knowledge, and may also be characterized by antediluvian-formed dementia. So no - it’s BS. ---
**Author:** ![CG2305](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/35a633/32.png) [@CG2305](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CG2305)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2016, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-infertility-most-commonly-or-even-often-caused-by-promiscuity/754463/24 "2016-05-15T16:59:34Z")
I would think that promiscuity would cause more pregnancies than it prevented. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2016, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-infertility-most-commonly-or-even-often-caused-by-promiscuity/754463/25 "2016-05-15T19:30:13Z")
> [@UberArchetype](#): > > Statement made by the elderly are commonly rooted in outmoded knowledge, and may also be characterized by antediluvian-formed dementia. > > So no - it’s BS. I disagree with the reasoning: the particular statement happens to be bullshit, but not because it was said by someone who’s old. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2016, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-infertility-most-commonly-or-even-often-caused-by-promiscuity/754463/26 "2016-05-15T19:48:08Z")
Infertility is MOST commonly caused by age. That should go without saying. many other things can contribute (including smoking), but nothing reduces fertility like the passage of time. ---
**Author:** ![HMS\_Irruncible](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hms_irruncible/32/7394_2.png) [@HMS\_Irruncible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HMS_Irruncible)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2016, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-infertility-most-commonly-or-even-often-caused-by-promiscuity/754463/27 "2016-05-16T03:24:31Z")
> [@andrea\_green](#): > > Does too much sex (and sex with multiple partners which increases risk hygene issues ) really cause a significant proportion of infertility? Only to the extent that it’s so much fun you might forget to have kids until you’re 40. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2016, 5:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-infertility-most-commonly-or-even-often-caused-by-promiscuity/754463/28 "2016-05-16T05:00:18Z")
There’s a lot of beating on this old doctor mentioned by the OP as if he’s some demented old man, but he’s generally correct if you take PCOS off the table which is an inherent physiological/genetic issue. **For things you can do something about re behavior** having lots of sex partners and the higher risk of STDs associated with that behavior is the # 1 risk for infertility. > [@](#): > > Pelvic Inflammatory Disease, Untreated STDs & Infertility Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) is a very serious pelvic inflammation that results from untreated vaginal or cervical infections, most commonly chlamydia and gonorrhea. If left untreated, bacteria make their way up through the uterus and into the fallopian tubes, ovaries, and surrounding tissues. PID does serious damage to the reproductive tract, often scarring and blocking the fallopian tubes. Scarring prevents fertilization from ever occurring. PID is one of the major causes of infertility among women of reproductive age. In one study, for example, 21 percent of women with PID were infertile compared to only 3 percent of women without PID. And the more episodes of PID a woman experiences, the greater her risk for infertility. However, after PID treatment, pregnancy often can be achieved through IVF. Infertility & Lifestyle Because PID results from untreated sexually transmitted infections, lifestyle choices that increase the likelihood that a woman will become infected with an STD also increase her chances of PID-induced infertility. These include not using a latex barrier (a condom or other form of STD protection) to prevent the transmission of STDs, as well as having multiple sex partners. ---
**Author:** ![UberArchetype](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/2bfe46/32.png) [@UberArchetype](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UberArchetype)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2016, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-infertility-most-commonly-or-even-often-caused-by-promiscuity/754463/29 "2016-05-16T15:17:51Z")
> [@Nava](#): > > I disagree with the reasoning: the particular statement happens to be bullshit, but not because it was said by someone who’s old. The statement is OBVIOUSLY bullshit, even to the layman. I was simply offering tangible reasons why that might be so. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-infertility-most-commonly-or-even-often-caused-by-promiscuity/754463.md?page=1)