How common are fertility problems ?

Infertility affects at least 20-25% of couples who are of reproductive age.

This means that at least one in five of the couples you know will be affected by some degree of infertility ! A sobering thought but fortunately many of these couples can benefit from help. Statistics vary but it would seem that around 30% of men are sub-fertile and at least 2% of men are totally infertile. Furthermore there is a great scientific debate going on just now about evdience suggesting that male fertility is decreasing markedly as a result of modern living.

Many couples also leave 'having a family' much later so that often the woman may be over 30 years of age. These couples are often quite anxious to conceive quickly given that time is running short for them.

The advent of In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) and the Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ARTs) have helped several thousand otherwise infertile couples to have children over the last few decades. Even so as many as 10% of couples will be left with an inability to have children.

For all these reasons, the number of couples seeking medical attention for infertility related problems has rapidly grown in recent years. This has also provided the push for new home-testing technology which provide the chance for more control, more privacy and also results that are useful if couples find it necessary to involve doctors.

One of the main advantages of home tests is that they will help fertile couples conceive more quickly and they will help others to identify that there might be a problem. This means that your doctor is more likely to help if you have used home tests - otherwise the doctor will just send you away and ask you to keep trying for at least one year before he/she will help.