Infertility: The Statistics A Concise Definition of Infertility and its Common Causes © Andrea Mariano
Infertility causes, statistics, and information Anyone can be affected by infertility regardless of age*, weight*, race, marital status, country, sexual orientation, religion, and socio-economical position. It is impossible to tell whether or not a person is infertile just by looking at them.
The CDC estimates that in 2002, approximately 2% of women of reproductive age sought infertility treatment. Ten percent have sought medical advice for infertility at some point in their reproductive lives, and 2.1 million couples recently reported the inability to become pregnant within 12 months.[1]
Infertility specialists consider any couple or individual who can not get pregnant within six months of unprotected intercourse to be a candidate for infertility treatments, since a woman's childbearing and fertility period is chronologically limited. Women over the age of thirty should take any inability to conceive very seriously, as pregnancy after age 35 is considered more difficult due to a diminishing ovarian reserve and often high risk due to advanced maternal age.
Infertility can be attributed to many causes. Broken down into statistics, it is said that 40% of infertility issues are female, 40% are male, and 20% are unexplained.[2] Of course, infertility is often a combination of male and female factors, and most couples experiencing infertility consider it to be a "couple" problem, not an individual one, facing infertility as a unit without indicating blame factors.
So, what is the number one cause of female infertility? It is of no surprise that PCOS, polycystic ovary syndrome is one of the leading causes of infertility in women. PCOS debilitates a woman?s reproductive system by shutting down ovarian function, often producing several scarring fluid-filled cysts on the exterior of ovarian tissue (which gives PCOS its name.)
Chlamydia infection, endometriosis, and age are also high infertility causes. But, there are several other causes of infertility including but not limited to defects of the reproductive system, genetic issues, immunology, diseases, hormonal imbalances, and even voluntary but later regretted sterility.
Regardless of the cause, infertility is definitely a life-affecting issue. It is important to note that estimated percentages lack the data from couples who do not seek infertility treatments for religious, privacy, or financial reasons. In addition, not all causes of infertility are currently understood, but new treatments and technologies are being researched every day, giving hope to thousands of infertile couples.
*Both are considered a factor for some infertility causes, but infertility strikes all ages and weights, not singling out anyone specifically.
[1]2002 National Survey of Family Growth.
NCHS, CDC, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (Internet)
Released, May 31, 2006. Last reviewed July 26, 2006.
Available from: http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nsfg.htm
[2]Marrs, Richard M.D., Lisa Friedman Bloch and Kathy Kirtland Silverman.
Dr. Richard Marrs? Fertility Book. New York: Delacorte Press, 1997.
More Information
International Council on Infertility Information
Forums | News | Links | Classifieds | FAQ / Abbreviations | Sponsors | Birth / Success Stories
Home | Contact Us | Calendar | Member List | State Laws | Sample Contracts
Copyright ©2006-2007, Surrogate Solutions Online LLC
