It’s been shown that 12% of women have issues with becoming or remaining pregnant. When couples are infertile, it may take some time to determine the cause. However, infertility is usually attributed to these primary causes:

• The female partner
• The male partner
• A combination of issues in both partners
• An unexplained cause

Both women and men have sought the assistance of infertility specialists to determine why they are unable to conceive. Recent figures show that 44% of women that are infertile have sought medical assistance, and 65% of these women have been able to become pregnant and give birth.

The Centers for Disease Control analyzed data from the 2002 National Survey of Family Growth. They found that 7.5% of sexually-active men under 45 had sought the services of a fertility specialist at some point in their life.

While women are their most fertile between 20 and 24 years of age, they may still able to conceive in their 30s and 40s. However, a woman’s fertility does begin decline when she’s 30, and continues to do so, and at a steeper level, by the time she is 35. When women are 40, only 2 in 5 that want to have a baby will be able to do so.

It’s been shown that even couples between the ages of 29 to 33 with normal functioning reproductive systems only have a 20% to 25% chance of conceiving during any given month. When there are reproductive issues, this chance further declines.

Most infertility cases are treated with either drug therapy or surgical procedures. Approximately 85% to 90% of infertility cases have been addressed with IVF treatments, hormone therapy, and other interventions.

When a couple is concerned about the cost of infertility treatments, it’s important to note that 15 states have passed laws regarding insurance coverage. The following states are required to cover some level of infertility treatment:

• Arkansas
• California
• Connecticut
• Hawaii
• Illinois
• Louisiana
• Maryland
• Massachusetts
• Montana
• New Jersey
• New York

Ohio

• Rhode Island
• Texas
• West Virginia