By Dr Shiri Dutt, Director at City Fertility Centre Gold Coast
Infertility can be difficult to cope with. Whether you have been trying to fall pregnant for a few cycles and are preparing to seek medical advice, or are in the process of receiving fertility treatment, knowing some of the facts behind your fertility struggles can be helpful.
Here are some infertility facts and statistics:
Facts:
- Special diets, while they may support fertility, probably won’t solve complex fertility issues.
- Treating infertility will depend on the cause – it could be a matter of making lifestyle changes, timing intercourse better, receiving treatment for a problem in the reproductive system, or undergoing IVF and supporting therapies.
- Infertility is the term used for couples who have struggled to fall pregnant after 12 months of unprotected sexual intercourse.
- It is estimated one in six couples experience fertility problems.
- Female fertility starts declining once a women reaches her early 30s. This decline speeds up at around 35 years of age.
Stats:
- Approximately 30 % of infertility is caused by female factors like tubal or ovulatory problems, 30 % of infertility is caused by male factors like problems with the sperm quality or lack of sperm and 30 % of infertility is caused by a combination of male and female factors.
- In approximately 10 % of cases, the exact reason for infertility remains unexplained even after comprehensive medical evaluations. This can be referred to as ‘idiopathic infertility’.
- It is estimated 60% of fertile couples conceive within 6 months of trying to fall pregnant and 80% of fertile people conceive within 12 months of trying to fall pregnant.
- An American study showed up to 20% of couples seeking fertility treatment were simply not timing intercourse correctly (which is why it’s so important to understand the menstrual cycle).
When it comes to infertility, it can be hard to identify legitimate medical advice, especially when it seems every friend, neighbour and family member has their own take on why you are having problems conceiving. Knowing the realities of infertility can reassure you that you are not alone in dealing with these challenges, and there are resources available to help.
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