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Definition
By Mayo Clinic staffIf getting pregnant has been a challenge for you and your partner, you're not alone. Ten to 15 percent of couples in the United States are infertile. Infertility is defined as not being able to get pregnant despite having frequent, unprotected sex for at least a year.
If that definition of infertility applies to you and your partner, there's a chance that something treatable may be interfering with your efforts to have a child. Infertility may be due to a single cause in either you or your partner, or a combination of factors that may prevent a pregnancy from occurring or continuing.
Fortunately, there are many safe and effective therapies for overcoming infertility. These treatments significantly improve your chances of becoming pregnant.
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- Hornstein MD et al. Optimizing natural fertility in couples planning pregnancy. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed April 30, 2009.
- Infertility: Frequently asked questions. National Women's Health Information Center. http://www.womenshealth.gov/FAQ/infertility.cfm. Accessed April 30, 2009.
- Swerdloff RS, et al. Causes of male infertility. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed April 30, 2009.
- Kuohung W, et al. Etiology of female infertility. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed April 30, 2009.
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- Kuohung W, et al. Overview of treatment of female infertility. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed April 30, 2009.
- Thinking about fertility treatment. March of dimes. http://www.marchofdimes.com/pnhec/173_14308.asp. Accessed April 30, 2009.
- Understanding menopause. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. http://www.womenshealth.gov/menopause/stages/premature.cfm. Accessed April 30, 2009.
- Uterine fibroids: Frequently asked questions. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. http://www.womenshealth.gov/FAQ/uterine-fibroids.cfm. Accessed April 30, 2009.
- Weng X, et al. Maternal caffeine consumption during pregnancy and the risk of miscarriage: A prospective cohort study. American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology.2008;198:5.
- Sigman M, et al. Male infertility. In: Wein AJ, et al, eds. Campbell-Walsh Urology. 9th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier; 2007. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/134799312-10/836106647/1445/22.html#4-u1.0-B978-0-7216-0798-6..50021-2_1518. Accessed April 30, 2009.
- Casper RF, et al. Ovulation induction with aromatase inhibitors. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed April 30, 2009.
- Hammer LB. Psychiatric aspects of infertility and infertility treatments. Psychiatric Clinics of North America. 2007;30:689.
- Domar AD. The impact of acupuncture on in vitro fertilization outcome. Psychiatric Clinics of North America. 2007;30:4.
