Infertility is rising sharply among young couples in India due to modern lifestyle factors. Learn the key causes, trends, and preventive steps to protect fertility in today’s fast-paced world.
There is an irony occurring in India right now. Medical Technology is growing tremendously, yet more and more young couples cannot conceive. Infertility is being reported on the rise amongst many Indian Fertility Specialists over the past few years, and is more frequent in couples being diagnosed in their late 20s and 30s.
In addition to PCOS, Endometriosis, Low ovarian reserve,& Poor quality of Sperm, today, there are new sources of evidence demonstrating that an increasing portion of the reason Indian couples cannot conceive is due to modern-day lifestyle choices. Stressful lives, looking at screens from morning to night for hours, delayed childbirth and negative dietary choices are all causing a negative effect and creating a new class of Infertility, the “Lifestyle Disorder of Infertility”.
According to the latest Sample Registration System (SRS) data, the country’s Total Fertility Rate (TFR) has fallen to 1.9, below the replacement level of 2.1. Eighteen states and union territories, including Delhi, Karnataka, Punjab, and West Bengal, are now below replacement fertility.
For the first time, even rural India has touched a TFR of 2.1, while urban areas have dipped to 1.5, reflecting shifting social patterns. Fertility is declining most sharply among younger women (15–29 years), while increasing marginally among women aged 30 and above, clear evidence of delayed parenthood, making it the biggest contributor.
How Delayed Parenthood Is Reshaping India’s Fertility Patterns
According to Dr Sabia Mangat, Consultant – Gynaecologist, Reproductive Medicine and IVF, Milann Fertility Hospital, Chandigarh, an increasing number of couples are choosing to postpone pregnancy while they build careers, achieve financial stability, or pursue personal goals. Although empowering, this trend collides with biological reality. Women are born with all the eggs they will ever have, and both egg quality and egg quantity begin to decline sharply after the age of 32. For men, long working hours, erratic meals, smoking, alcohol consumption, and chronic stress are linked to reduced sperm count and motility. Together, these factors are pushing infertility into the mainstream as a lifestyle-driven phenomenon.
The Role of Modern Urban Lifestyle in Declining Fertility
The urban lifestyle is another major catalyst. Long workdays, high-pressure environments, sedentary habits, and chronic screen exposure are now common across age groups. Stress has become a new normal in today’s life. And, stress triggers hormonal imbalances that affect ovulation in women and testosterone levels in men. Again, the increase in desk jobs has also led to an epidemic of obesity and other risk factors for ovulatory issues, insulin resistance, erectile dysfunction, and poorer IVF outcomes. Even the non-uniform working hours lead to sleep deprivation, excessive social media use, or irregular routines, disrupting hormonal cycles essential for fertility.
How Diet and Nutrition Influence Reproductive Health
The diet is also playing a growing role in reproductive health, as there has been an increase in the use of convenience foods, sweet drinks, sugar, processed carbohydrates, the use of high amounts of sodium and processed snacks, which contribute to inflammation and metabolic disorders that hurt reproductive health. According to fertility experts, eating a diet rich in fruits, vegetables and fat (in moderation) improves the body’s hormonal balance and helps women to have healthy eggs and men to have healthy sperm. On the other hand, convenience often trumps nutrition, which leads to a deficiency of important vitamins, minerals and antioxidants in many urban Indians.
Environmental Toxins and Their Impact on Fertility
The declining fertility rates around the world can be attributed to environmental contaminants that cause reproductive health problems. Such contaminants are found in many forms, including air pollutants, plasticisers (endocrine-disrupting chemicals), pesticides applied to crops, and exposure to toxic products used for making up or cleaning the home. The chemicals in these various products have been shown to disrupt hormone production, resulting in issues related to menstrual cycles, sperm maturation, and implantation of embryos.
The Emotional Toll of Infertility in Today’s Fast-Paced World
Infertility is unique because of the many emotions that accompany it. The demands of a busy, fast-paced society don’t provide much time for couples dealing with fertility issues to stop and think about the issue or to support each other through this difficult period. Rather, these couples often experience feelings of isolation from one another and the rest of the world due to the competitive nature of our careers, community, and financial responsibilities they face. The additional emotional stress these couples experience, such as anxiety, burnout, and depression, feeds into a cycle where both the emotional and physical aspects of their reproductive health deteriorate further.
Infertility as a Lifestyle Disorder: Why Awareness Matters
Recognising infertility as a lifestyle disorder is the first step toward prevention. The time has come to take proactive approaches, such as regular health screenings, maintaining a healthy diet, staying physically active, reducing smoking and alcohol consumption, managing stress through yoga or mindfulness, and prioritising 7–8 hours of sleep. For couples planning to delay pregnancy, fertility preservation options such as egg or sperm freezing offer greater reproductive flexibility.
Disclaimer: Tips and suggestions mentioned in the article are for general information purposes only and should not be construed as professional medical advice. Always consult your doctor or a dietician before starting any fitness programme or making any changes to your diet.
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