“Infertility” is a term used to describe the inability of a couple to get pregnant or the inability of a woman to carry a pregnancy to term.
Infertility is defined clinically as not being able to achieve pregnancy after 1 year of having regular, unprotected intercourse, or after 6 months if the woman is older than 35 years of age.
Many different medical conditions and other factors can contribute to fertility problems, and an individual case may have a single cause, several causes, or—in some cases—no identifiable cause.
NICHD scientists and others supported by the Institute are conducting research to identify both the causes of infertility and new treatments that may allow more men and women to achieve pregnancy and more women to deliver a live-born infant.
General Information
Infertility is a term that describes when a couple is unable to achieve pregnancy after 1 year of having regular, unprotected sex, or after 6 months if the woman is older than 35 years of age.
About 9% of men and about 11% of women of reproductive age in the United States have experienced fertility problems.
When a couple experiences problems with fertility, the cause(s) can be multiple and overlapping. Problems in the male are just as likely as problems in the female.
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Fertility preservation is the process of saving or protecting eggs, sperm, or reproductive tissue so that a person can use them to have biological children in the future.
Couples should consult with a health care provider about fertility problems if they have had unprotected sex for 1 year without a successful pregnancy.
To diagnose infertility and try to identify its cause, health care providers ask questions about health history, perform a physical exam, and conduct laboratory tests.
Treatments for infertility—for men, for women, and for both partners—can range from medications or surgery to embryo implantation through assisted reproductive technology (ART).
Research
NICHD studies male and female fertility and therapies for improving fertility.
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NICHD conducts and supports a variety of clinical research projects related to infertility and fertility.
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Find answers to other common questions about infertility and fertility, such as how cancer treatment can affect fertility.
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Links to websites of groups that study or provide information about fertility and infertility.
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