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Infertility is the inability to naturally conceive a child or the inability to carry a pregnancy to term. There are many reasons why a couple may not be able to conceive, or may not be able to conceive without medical assistance. (Note: although some aspects of this article may be generalizable, it deals primarily with infertility as pertains to human couples.)
Definition
The International Council on Infertility Information Dissemination (INCIID) considers a couple to be infertile if1:
- they have not conceived after 12 months of unprotected intercourse, or after 6 months if the woman is over 35 years of age. The reduced duration for women over 35 is because there is a rapid decline in fertility after this age and help should be sought sooner.
- there is incapability to carry a pregnancy to term.
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Infertility affects approximately 15% of couples. Roughly 40% of cases involve a male contribution or factor, 40% involve a female factor, and the remainder involve both sexes.
Healthy couples in their mid-20s having regular sex have a one-in-four chance of getting pregnant in any given month. This is called "Fecundity".
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Maternal | Pregnancy | Childbirth | Lamaze | Infant Caring | Breastfeeding | Surrogate Mother |
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