Infertility is the inability to conceive after having regular unprotected sex. It can also refer to the biological inability of a person to contribute to conception. Females who cannot carry a pregnancy to full term are also included in this definition.
Infertility is defined as ‘failure to conceive after frequent unprotected sexual intercourse for one to two years.’ by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE).
Infertility cases can be the result of both male and female conditions. Studies have indicated that 50% of infertility cases are as a result of female conditions.
Reasons for infertility
The following reasons for infertility were collected from patient registration forms for IVF treatment.
- male factor – 29.7%
- female factor – 28.5%
- multiple male and female factors – 10.3%
- unexplained – 23.9%
- other factors – 4.7% (includes those with numerous multiple diagnosis)