Definition of infertility

A diagnosis of infertility means you haven’t been able to get pregnant after a year of trying. If you’re a woman over 35, it means you haven’t been able to get pregnant after 6 months of trying.

Women who are able to conceive but not carry a pregnancy to term may also be diagnosed with infertility.

A woman who’s never been able to get pregnant will be diagnosed with primary infertility. A woman who’s had at least one successful pregnancy in the past will be diagnosed with secondary infertility.

Infertility isn’t just a woman’s problem. Men can be infertile too. In fact, men and women are equally likely to have fertility problems.

According to studies, about one-third of infertility cases can be attributed to female infertility while men’s problems account for another third of infertility cases.

The remaining third of cases may be caused by a combination of male and female infertility, or they may have no known cause.

 

Source: Healthline