Infertility

Infertility is the term health care providers use for women who are unable to get pregnant, and for men who are unable to impregnate a woman, after at least one year of trying. About 12 percent of child-bearing aged women in the US have difficulty getting pregnant or carrying a baby to term. Infertility can be caused by a number of factors. About one-third of infertility cases is due to the woman. In another one third of cases, infertility is due to the man. The remaining third of cases are caused by a mixture of male and female factors or by unknown factors. The most common male infertility factors include azoospermia (no sperm cells are produced) and oligospermia (few sperm cells are produced). The most common female infertility factor is an ovulation disorder. Infertility can be treated with medicine, surgery, artificial insemination or assisted reproductive technology or a combination of these treatments. Treatment of infertility depends on the cause, the duration of the problem, and the age of the partners. Some causes of infertility can't be corrected but in many cases infertility treatments can enable a woman to become pregnant.