Where you live could lower your chances of pregnancy by a fifth
WHERE you choose to live can influence your job, friends and even who you end up marrying.
However, a new study has also revealed that where you live can have a big impact on your chances of getting pregnant.
People who live in poorer neighbourhoods are up to 25 per cent less likely to be able to get pregnant than those living in richer areas, research has found.
This remains true for those who are rich and highly educated who happen to live in poor areas.
The study, which was published in , followed over 6,000 individuals between 21 and 45 years-old who were trying to get pregnant without fertility treatment.
Most of these participants were white, had university degrees, and an annual salary of over £40k ($50k).
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When the researchers took location into account, they found that people living in poor areas had a 19 to 21 per cent lower chance of conceiving a child than those in middle class or rich areas.
For those living in the poorest areas, the odds dropped even further.
These individuals saw their chances of getting pregnant slashed by 23 to 25 per cent in comparison to people living in most stable areas.
Previous from the US has suggested that your postcode is the greatest predictor of your overall health, including how how long you're going to live for.
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This is based on factors like health care access, employment rates, education level and access to safe water which can vary hugely depending on where you live.
The researchers from the University of Oregon concluded that more investment in poorer neighbourhoods would result in more pregnancies there.
Lead author Mary Willis, a postdoctoral scholar in OSU’s College of Public Health and Human Sciences said: “There are dozens of studies looking at how your neighbourhood environment is associated with adverse birth outcomes, but the preconception period is heavily under-studied from a structural standpoint.
“Turns out, before you’re even conceived, there may be things affecting your health."
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Last month, the Government announced that more couples would be be able to access free IVF under new NHS reforms designed to make access to healthcare fairer.
Under the same plans, NHS clinics giving sub-par IVF will be named and shamed.