Table 2.
Crude and Age-Adjusted Prevalence of Lifetime (Prior or Current) Infertility by 11 Different Definitions of Infertility (n = 1,014), Furthering Understanding of Cancer, Health, and Survivorship in Adult Women Study, 2012–2015
| Infertility Definition | Crude Prevalence, %a | Age-Adjusted Prevalence, %b |
|---|---|---|
| Unprotected intercourse for 6 months | 42.6 | 43.4 |
| Attempting pregnancy for 6 months | 25.5 | 19.1 |
| Unprotected intercourse for 12 months | 35.3 | 35.3 |
| Attempting pregnancy for 12 months | 19.7 | 14.9 |
| Unprotected intercourse for 24 months | 23.5 | 23.8 |
| Attempting pregnancy for 24 months | 11.2 | 8.9 |
| Unprotected intercourse using 2013 ASRM age cutpointsc | 35.9 | 35.6 |
| Attempting pregnancy according to 2013 ASRM definitionc | 20.5 | 15.3 |
| Visited a doctor for help getting pregnant | 16.6 | 11.8 |
| Physician diagnosis of infertilityd | 9.7 | 7.0 |
| Physician diagnosis of infertility due to female-related factorsd–f | 6.3 | 3.8 |
Abbreviation: ASRM, American Society for Reproductive Medicine.
a Percentage of women ever meeting given definition of infertility.
b Percentage of women ever meeting given definition of infertility, age-adjusted to the US population using the 2014 US Census estimates for women aged 22–45 years.
c Did not get pregnant after 12 months of appropriately timed unprotected intercourse (for those <35 years of age) or after 6 months (for those ≥35 years old).
d Measured only among women who visited a doctor for help getting pregnant.
e Reason given by doctor for cause of infertility was a female-related factor (poor ovulation, low ovarian reserve, fibroids, blocked tubes, endometriosis, cervical problem, or menopause).
f Denominators exclude 8 people missing this outcome.