Infertility

Infertility refers to the reduced or absent ability to father or conceive a child naturally despite a desire to have children. In medical usage, infertility is usually defined as no pregnancy occurring after at least one year of regular sexual intercourse without contraception. The term sterility is sometimes used for a complete and lasting inability to conceive, but its medical meaning is not always applied consistently.

Infertility is not uncommon. In Central Europe, about one in six couples is affected at some point; some conceive only after a longer period, while a smaller proportion remain involuntarily childless. The causes are distributed roughly equally between female factors, male factors, combined factors, or no clearly identifiable cause. Fertility decreases with age, especially in women.

Primary infertility means that a woman has never become pregnant. Secondary infertility means that a pregnancy has occurred before, but conception does not happen again despite trying for a child. Medical evaluation is advisable, because hormonal, anatomical, and other health-related causes may be involved.