Infertility Facts and Figures

Infertility Is a Couple's Problem

• Infertility is a common disease. It affects about 6.1 million American men and women, which represents about 1 in 7 couples in their childbearing years.

• Infertility occurs equally in women and men. Male factors and female factors each account for about a third of infertility problems. The remaining third are either a combination of male and female factors or are unexplained.

• After a year of trying, about 85% - 90% of couples will conceive.

• Couples should seek medical help from a fertility specialist if they are unable to become pregnant after one year of regular, unprotected intercourse or six months if the woman is over 35 years old.

Start Thinking About Fertility Health Early

• A woman's fertility decreases with age, especially after age 35.

• A healthy 30-year-old woman has about a 20% chance of getting pregnant each month, whereas a 40-year-old woman's chances drop to about 5% a month. 

• Currently, 20 percent of women in the United States have their first child after age 35.

• Several risk factors affect fertility, including lifestyle factors such as smoking, an abnormal body weight, sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and alcohol use. Other risk factors include ovulatory disorders, blocked fallopian tubes, endometriosis and cervical disorders.

Infertility Can Be Treated

• The majority of patients who complete treatment succeed in having a child.

• More than 80% of women with ovulatory disorders are successfully treated with medications.

• Most infertile couples (85% to 90%) are treated with conventional therapies, such as medication and surgery.

• Less than 5% of infertile couples are treated with more sophisticated procedures known as assisted reproductive technologies (ART).

• In vitro fertilization (IVF) is the most commonly used ART procedure.

• Pregnancy rates associated with IVF vary from center to center as well as with the age of the patient and typically range from 20 - 60%.

• According to the CDC, the overall live birth rate per embryo transfer for fresh non- donor ART cycles was about 35% in 2002, the most recent year of published statistics.

• Intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), combined with IVF, is the most effective treatment for male infertility. Recent statistics show that ICSI is used in about 47% of IVF procedures in the US.

Annual Figures (UK) and Scale of Fertility Problems

Risks of IVF Treatment

Treatment and Success of IVF Treatment