Infertility Statistics-What the Numbers Really Mean

Most couples feel excluded in the knowledge that they can't have children due to infertility problems. They gaze out longingly to parents with their kids and contemplate why they are not blessed. To show that they are not alone in their predicament, here are the numbers.

There are many women affected with infertility. Almost 7.3 million women from the age of 15 to 44 are unable to have a child. Not all of them are even aware of their condition until they try to conceive. A few cases would find out after a pregnancy that they have a condition called polycystic ovarian syndrome that can be a hindrance to their being fertile. This is not always so since not everyone can be diagnosed as easily. There are also those that visited fertility clinics to be tested and treated.

7.3 million Women in 2002 aged 15 to 44 years old have availed of a range of infertility services. Out of this data, 6.1% sought professional counseling. 5.5% of them asked for assistance in miscarriage prevention. 4.8% have taken a fertility exam and 3.8% took medication to help them ovulate. 1.1% of these ladies have tried artificial insemination. 11.8% of them from 15 to 44 years of age were found to have impaired fecundity.

It is widely known that as women grow older, they have poorer chance of getting pregnant. This is because they have fewer healthy eggs by then. 15.2% of childless women are aged 35 to 39 years old. 17.3% of childless women are aged between 30 and 34 years, and they also took infertility treatments while there's only 2.9% for women aged between 15 and 29 years.

To illustrate, here is a better picture of the statistics: Married infertile women with ages of 15 to 29 years-11%. Married infertile women with ages of 30 to 34 years-16.9%. Married infertile women with ages of 35 to 39 years-22.6%. Married infertile women with ages of 40 to 44 years-27.4%. Although the figures don't lie, there are still ways to counter the results.

There are many medical miracles in the realm of infertility. The chance of a 31 year old woman having IVF to experience a successful live birth is nearly 40%. If the woman is aged 39 years old, the chance is decreased by nearly half. For women aged 43 years old and above, the chance becomes less than 10%. Another alternative is to use an egg donor. This is more promising than IVF because it has a success rate of 45%, especially when the eggs come from a younger woman.