It depends on many things, including the cause of the problem and the severity. Overall, Younger says, about half of couples that seek fertility treatment will be able to have babies. A Year Without Pregnancy Infertility is defined as the inability to conceive a child despite trying for one year. The condition affects about 5.3 million Americans, or 9 percent of the reproductive age population, according to the American Society for Reproductive Medicine. Ironically, the best protection against infertility is to use a condom while you are not trying to get pregnant.
Condoms prevent sexually transmitted diseases, a primary cause of infertility.
Even a completely healthy couple can't expect to get pregnant at the drop of a hat. Only 20 percent of women who want to conceive become pregnant in the first ovulation cycle they try, according to Younger. To become pregnant, a couple must have intercourse during the woman's fertile time of the month, which is right before and during ovulation. Because it's tough to pinpoint the exact day of ovulation, having intercourse often during the approximate time maximizes the chances of conception. After a year of frequent intercourse without contraception that doesn't result in pregnancy, a couple should go to a health-care professional for an evaluation.