Infertility AudioHealth Library Topic 2622 Infertility Infertility affects 15 to 20 percent of all couples who are trying to have a baby. Infertility is the inability to get pregnant after having unprotected intercourse for a year or more. Infertility can be temporary or permanent, and includes both the inability to conceive and the loss of pregnancy due to miscarriage. In women, infertility increases with age.
Doctors are able to find the probable cause of infertility in about eighty percent of all cases.
After a year of trying unsuccessfully to conceive, a couple should seek medical help. A doctor will examine both the woman and the man to look for possible reasons for the infertility. Depending on the results of the initial exam, special diagnostic tests may be ordered to determine the cause of infertility. Treatment of infertility is successful in about fifty to sixty percent of the cases. Regular check-ups by a gynecologist will help to detect problems that can contribute to infertility.