A new condition called TINS is a real threat to fertility rates. It stands for Two Incomes No Sex.

According to research by a British organisation called the Chartered Institute of Personal Development, over half the people they interviewed said their sex lives were suffering because of the long hours they spent at work, which meant they felt too tired at the end of the day. Too many couples are too tried and too stressed out to have sex.

When you’re trying for a baby, stress management is important because too much stress can trigger the release of the stress hormone cortisol. If there is too much cortisol in your blood stream this can interfere with your hormonal balance – in particular the output of sex hormones and affect the functioning of the hypothalamus and the pituitary - the glands in the brain that regulates the hormones that tell your ovaries to release eggs. So if you're stressed out, you may ovulate later in your cycle or not at all.

Losing a close family member can take its toll on fertility. And according to a recent study stresses like separation, divorce, illness and a stressful job all raised the likelihood of miscarriage, with those who felt relaxed and happy early in pregnancy being 60% less likely to miscarry.

It’s not just extreme stress either – everyday tension and experiences can all take their toll – even the prospect of a driving test can be enough to make you miss a period. This mechanism seems to be nature’s way of preventing pregnancy at a time when a woman may find it hard to cope.

Stress can affect male fertility too by raising the level of stress hormones and this can interfere with the hormones controlling sperm production. Research has shown that men under stress at work or home are more likely to have poor sperm quality. One study of 157 men conducted by the University of California in showed that a very depressing experience, like the loss of a loved one can temporary reduce a man’s sperm count. Other research shows that stress or unhappiness can lower sperm count and make the sperm that are left move badly and even cause sperm cell abnormalities. Stress has also been shown to have an impact on the quality of sperm of men in couples undergoing the roller-coaster of stress that often goes hand in hand with IVF.

Couples who have been trying for a baby without success often experience high levels of stress, especially if they need medical assistance and the longer it takes the more anxious they come and the more chance there is of stress inhibiting fertility. Some studies on animals and humans also show that if a woman becomes extremely anxious about getting pregnant she may release eggs which are not mature enough to be fertilized.

Higher than normal levels of stress hormone can lower libido in both women because they have a knock on affect on the hormones that power sex drive – oestrogen and testosterone. And not having enough sex or enjoying satisfying sex, may be a prime cause of infertility.

We know that stress affects fertility so over the next couple of months, I will explain techniques for controlling stress with nutrition and diet.

Article written by Dr Marilyn Glenville PhD - Fellow of The Royal Society of Medicine, a nutritionist, psychologist, author and broadcaster.

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