5 Things You May Not Know About Infertility

Men and women are equally likely to be infertile, and other facts to know about fertility problems

(US News and World Report,  March 17, 2009)

1. Infertility affects roughly 12 percent of people of reproductive age in the United States, or about 7.3 million women and their partners.

2. Infertility is gender blind: It affects men and women in equal numbers. The most common problem in men is low or no sperm count; for women, it's problems with ovulation.

3. Nearly all cases of infertility—85 to 90 percent—can be resolved through traditional medical treatments like drugs or surgery that repairs reproductive organs.

4. In vitro fertilization and similar procedures account for under 3 percent of infertility treatments.

5. The average live delivery rate for IVF in 2005 was nearly 32 percent per egg retrieval, slightly better than the 20 percent odds that a reproductively healthy couple in any given month will get pregnant and carry a baby to term.

Source: American Society for Reproductive Medicine