What is infertility?
Infertility can be defined as:
- the inability to conceive after having regular unprotected sex, after one year for women who are under 35 years old and after 6 months for women over 35 years old.
- the inability to contribute biologically to a conception or
- the inability to carry a pregnancy to a live birth
Did you know?
Roughly 16% (or 1 in 6) couples in Canada experience infertility. This number has doubled since the 1980s.
Causes of infertility
Infertility is both a male and a female concern. It can be the result of a female factor, a male factor, or a combination of both.
- 30% of the time, the cause is in men
- 40% of the time, the cause is in women
- 20% of the time, the cause is a mix of both male and female factors
- 10% of the time, no explanation can be determined for the cause
Source: Government of Canada
healthycanadians.gc.ca