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Epidemiology

Last reviewed dd mmm yyyy. Last edited dd mmm yyyy

Authoring team

Estimated that infertility affects 1 in 7 heterosexual couples in the UK

  • since 2004 there has been a small increase in the prevalence of fertility problems, and a greater proportion of people now seeking help for such problems
  • women with primary infertility are twice as likely to obtain treatment as those with secondary infertility

  • a male factor is responsible for a couple's infertility in about 30% of cases
    • in the last 50 years there has been a documented fall in sperm concentration (a Danish group reported a fall in sperm concentration from 113 million per mL to 66 million per mL between 1938 and 1990)

  • main causes of infertility in the UK are (percent figures indicate approximate prevalence) (1):
    • unexplained infertility (no identified male or female cause) (25%)
    • ovulatory disorders (25%)
    • tubal damage (20%)
    • factors in the male causing infertility (30%)
    • uterine or peritoneal disorders (10%).
    • in about 40% of cases disorders are found in both the man and the woman. Uterine or endometrial factors, gamete or embryo defects, and pelvic conditions such as endometriosis may also play a role

  • about half of couples with infertility eventually conceive

  • young age, a relatively short period of infertility, and the absence of factors such as bilateral tubal obstruction, azoospermia and prolonged amenorrhoea increase the chances of success

  • three percent of couples with unexplained infertility conceive each month independently of treatment.

Reference:

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