Top 4 Reasons Women Can’t Fall Pregnant: Women’s Day Spotlight
This Women’s Day 2025, we contribute to raising awareness by highlighting the most common medical reasons why women struggle to conceive, and how expert treatment at an accredited fertility clinic can help you have the baby you want.
Worldwide, one in six couples are experiencing infertility, which is defined as a couple not conceiving after 12 months (or 6 months for women over 35) of regular, unprotected sex.
This does not mean you will never have a baby. It means that there is most likely an underlying medical condition preventing you from getting pregnant. At our fertility clinic Cape Fertility in the beautiful city of Cape Town, we have seen over the last three decades that the top four causes of infertility in the female partner are: blocked fallopian tubes, endometriosis, fibroids, and ovulation issues.
The good – and very important – news to share this Women’s Day is that all of these conditions can be very successfully treated.
Let’s explore how each of these conditions affect fertility and what you can do if one of these may be impacting your ability to conceive.
1. Blocked fallopian tubes
A women’s fallopian tubes are essential for natural conception, as they are the channel where the egg and sperm meet for fertilisation. For this to happen, these delicate structures must be open, structurally intact, and flexible to guide the egg (or embryo) to the uterus.
Unfortunately, blockages or damage to the fallopian tubes are common and can prevent this process entirely. Causes include infections, pelvic surgeries, endometriosis, and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). When the tubes are damaged or immobile, fertilisation and embryo transport can be disrupted, leading to infertility.
You can learn more about blocked fallopian tubes here: [Learn More]
2. Endometriosis
Affecting up to 10% of women, endometriosis is a chronic condition where tissue similar to the lining inside the uterus grows outside of it, often on the ovaries, fallopian tubes, or other pelvic organs.
Symptoms range in severity, but one of the most significant impacts is on fertility. In fact, between 25% and 40% of women with infertility are diagnosed with endometriosis.
This condition causes inflammation, scar tissue, and anatomical interference, such as blocking the fallopian tubes from capturing the egg. It can also impact the ovaries directly by forming cysts known as “chocolate cysts”.
Treatment options vary and may include medical therapy, laparoscopic surgery, or assisted reproductive technologies like IVF.
Read more about the patient-centred endometriosis care we offer at Cape Fertility here: [Learn More]
3. Fibroids
Fibroids are non-cancerous growths that develop in or on the uterus. While common, especially among women in their 30s and 40s, fibroids can significantly interfere with fertility.
Fibroids may alter the shape of the uterus or affect the uterine lining, where the embryo must implant and receive nourishment. If fibroids grow near the endometrium, they can reduce blood flow, crowd the uterus, or disrupt implantation, making conception difficult and increasing miscarriage risk.
Thankfully, there are effective treatments for fibroids that can restore uterine health and enhance your chances of becoming pregnant.
4. Ovulation Problems
Ovulation is essential for natural conception. When ovulation is irregular or absent, pregnancy becomes much more difficult. Women with ovulation issues often have irregular periods—either too frequent, too infrequent, too short, or too long.
The most common cause is polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), responsible for up to 80% of ovulation problems. Other causes include premature menopause, thyroid dysfunction, pituitary disorders, and certain medications.
The good news is that ovulation issues are often treatable. Many women resume regular ovulation with medication and lifestyle changes, and IVF is not always necessary.
Find out more about how ovulation issues that affect fertility are treated at Cape Fertility here: [Learn More]
Are one of these common causes preventing you from falling pregnant?
If you – or other women you know – are struggling to fall pregnant, chances are good that it may be due to one of the four most common causes of infertility among women: blocked fallopian tubes, endometriosis, fibroids, and ovulation problems.
Even more encouraging news is that at our purpose-built clinic, in the Claremont Medical Village in Cape Town, you will can find effective treatments for blocked fallopian tubes, endometriosis, fibroids and ovulation problems, as well as many other possible causes of fertility challenges.
We invite you to come and meet one of our fertility clinic specialists by simply clicking here… [Contact Us]
At Cape Fertility, we value each individual patient and we look forward to providing you with our signature individualised and personalised care, affordable quality fertility treatment, and higher success rates that ensure more of our patients experience the joy of having their own baby.