Visit Your Local PBS Station PBS Home PBS Home Programs A-Z TV Schedules Watch Video Support PBS Shop PBS Search PBS
Second Opinion Logo THE
SERIES
 |  THE
HOST
 |  EPISODES  |  MEDICAL
GLOSSARY
 |  RESOURCES  |  SECOND OPINION
FOR CAREGIVERS
Fertility
Panelists
Quick Facts
Transcript
Ask Your Doctor
Key Point 1
Key Point 2
Key Point 3
Resources
Medical Glossary
Quick Facts

  • A cause can be determined for about 85 to 90 percent of infertile couples.

  • Without any treatment intervention, 15 to 20 percent of couples previously diagnosed as infertile will eventually become pregnant.

  • More than half of couples who seek infertility treatment get pregnant without advanced techniques such as in vitro fertilization.

  • Assisted reproductive technology (ART) success rates are highly dependent on the age of the woman.  A 2003 Centers for Disease Prevention report showed the average percentage of ART cycles that led to a healthy baby were as follows:
    • 37.3% in women under the age of 35
    • 30.2% in women aged 35-37
    • 20.2% in women aged 37-40
    • 11.0% in women aged 41-42

  • Pregnancy rates begin to decline slowly, beginning in the early 30s.  Throughout the late 30s and early 40s there is an even greater decline in pregnancy rates.  Only 2 percent of babies are born to women over the age of 40.

  • 25 percent of couples have more than one factor contributing to infertility.

  • Even if a woman has successfully conceived before, she might have fertility issues later in life.

  • Infertility problems can be attributed to both the female and the male in roughly the same proportion.

  • Age is the single most important factor in whether a woman can conceive and deliver a baby.

  • In men, injury to the testicles or tubes which carry sperm are common reasons for male infertility.

  • Sexually transmitted diseases can cause both female and male infertility.

 
 
Support PBS WXXI West 175 Production University of Rochester Blue Cross/Blue Shield
Home | The Series | The Host | The Episodes | The Panelists | Medical Glossary | Sponsors/Partners | Contact Us
Copyright 2006 WXXI. All rights reserved | Disclaimer | PBS Privacy Policy