Infertility - definition

Infertility is usually defined as 'the inability to achieve pregnancy after a reasonable period of unprotected intercourse or the inability to carry a pregnancy to a live birth'.

One in six Australian couples experience infertility.

Causes of infertility may be related to a female or a male factor and in some cases a combination of both.  Some infertility remains unexplained.

Fertility in women declines with age, mainly due to a reduction in egg quality.  Risk of miscarriage and other pregnancy risks also increase.  One third of women over 35 may have fertility problems that cannot be reversed by IVF.

More information can be found in the SACRT Infertility brochure.