Diagnosis

When is there a fertility problem? Many couples are faced with difficulties in having children. On average it is estimated that 1 in 7 couples who want children experience fertility problems. For some couples it is really impossible to have children without treatment. For other couples a spontaneous pregnancy is not impossible, but it could take a lot longer than normal until the woman becomes pregnant. Therefore it would be better to talk generally of reduced fertility (sub-fertility) than infertility. Nevertheless the word infertility is so well established that we will continue to use it, but we take it to include reduced fertility as well.

The relative nature of the concept of “normal fertility” is demonstrated by the fact that 1 in 7 of women with children have had to try for longer than 1 year. So it is not easy to define infertility. For example are you infertile after wanting to become pregnant for 1 year, or only after 2 years? Most infertility specialists advise you to try to become pregnant in a regular way for at least 1 year. Of course this doesn’t apply to couples where a clear problem is already present, such as the absence of periods or the impossibility of obtaining an erection. In such cases and in all doubtful cases advice from an infertility specialist is certainly indicated. Likewise women with infertility who are older than 35 would do well to arrange an appointment with a specialist at an early date.