[Risk factors associated to female infertility]

BACKGROUND: Incidence of female infertility is growing worldwide and the its rate varies from 10 to 20%. It has been reported diverse risk factors associated with this medical complication. OBJECTIVE: To identify the risk factors with significant association with female infertility. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A case-control study was carried out. There were included 440 patients, divided into 220 women with primary or secondary female infertility (cases) and 220 women without infertility recruited at mediate postpartum (controls). Twenty sociodemographic and clinical risk factors for female infertility were analyzed. Statistical analysis was performed with percentages, arithmetic media, standard error, Student t test and chi squared. An alpha value was set at 0.05. RESULTS: There were 6 factors with statistical significance: advanced age (p < 0.001), elevated body mass index (p < 0.001), age of onset of sexual activity (p < 0.001), prior pelvic surgeries (p < 0.001), and presence of stress (p < 0.001). Other risk factors such as smoking, chemical and radiological treatments, pelvic inflammatory disease, exercise, contraceptive use, alcohol intake, drugs, coffee, solvents, glue and insecticides, were not significant. CONCLUSIONS: There are clinical and demographic risk factors associated with female infertility. Them identification in women at reproductive age could diminish the frequency of female infertility and, thus, avoid them consequences.