Epidemiology

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:

• NICE (February 2013).Fertility - Assessment and treatment for people with fertility problems
• NICE (September 2017).Fertility - Assessment and treatment for people with fertility problems