Prevalence of infertility and help seeking among 15 000 women and men
Open accessAbstract
STUDY QUESTION: What is the prevalence of infertility and of help seeking among women and men in Britain? SUMMARY ANSWER: One in eight women and one in ten men aged 16-74 years had experienced infertility, defined by unsuccessfully attempting pregnancy for a year or longer, and little more than half of these people sought medical or professional help. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY: Estimates of infertility and help seeking in Britain vary widely and are not easily comparable because of different definitions and study populations. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION: A cross-sectional population survey was conducted between 2010 and 2012 with a sample of 15 162 women and men aged 16-74 years. PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS: Participants completed the Natsal-3 questionnaire, using computer-assisted personal interviewing (CAPI) and computer-assisted self-interview (CASI). MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE: The reported prevalence of infertility was 12.5% (CI 95% 11.7-13.3) among women and 10.1% (CI 95% 9.2-11.1) among men. Increased prevalence was associated with later cohabitation with a partner, higher socio-economic status and, for those who had a child, becoming parents at older ages. The reported prevalence of help seeking was 57.3% (CI 95% 53.6-61.0) among women and 53.2% (CI 95% 48.1-58.1) among men. Help seekers were more likely to be better educated and in higher status occupations and, among those who had a child, to have become parents later in life. LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION: These data are cross-sectional so it is not possible to establish temporality or infer causality. Self-reported data may be subject to recall bias. WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS: The study provides estimates of infertility and help seeking in Britain and the results indicate that the prevalence of infertility is higher among those delaying parenthood. Those with higher educational qualifications and occupational status are more likely to consult with medical professionals for fertility problems than others and these inequalities in help seeking should be considered by clinical practice and public health. STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTERESTS: Funding was provided by grants from the Medical Research Council and the Wellcome Trust, with support from the Economic and Social Research Council and the Department of Health. AMJ is a Governor of the Wellcome Trust. Other authors have no competing interests.
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The propensity to seek medical attention among women with pelvic pain and infertility is higher among women from higher compared with lower socio-economic status groups.
“Also, the propensity to seek medical attention among women with pelvic pain and infertility is higher among women from higher compared with lower socio-economic status groups. 29”
From Risk of cardiovascular outcomes among women with endometriosis in the United Kingdom: a retrospective matched cohort study (2021) · cites this paper as [29]
The Results section reports that women with lower education and lower occupational classifications were less likely to seek help for infertility. The paper does not establish the same pattern for women with pelvic pain, so that part of the claim is unsupported. (LLM, conf=0.90)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredSocio-economic status may be a proxy marker for lifestyle risk factors associated with endometriosis in the UK.
“Socio-economic status may be a proxy marker for lifestyle risk factors associated with endometriosis in the UK.”
From Risk of cardiovascular outcomes among women with endometriosis in the United Kingdom: a retrospective matched cohort study (2021) · cites this paper as [29]
The Results (page not provided) examine socio-economic position in relation to infertility and help seeking, not endometriosis. Searches for endometriosis and for socio-economic lifestyle risk factors found no passage in our copy addressing whether socio-economic status is a proxy for lifestyle risks associated with endometriosis in the UK. (LLM, conf=0.76)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredIn previous observational studies that used surgically confirmed endometriosis as the case definition, the inclusion of non-surgically confirmed endometriosis cases in sensitivity analyses, or in stratified analyses, did not lead to changes in the observed effect estimates.
“Third, in previous observational studies that used surgically confirmed endometriosis as the case definition, the inclusion of non-surgically confirmed endometriosis cases in sensitivity analyses, 29 or in stratified analyses, 23 did not lead to changes in the observed effect estimates.”
From Risk of cardiovascular outcomes among women with endometriosis in the United Kingdom: a retrospective matched cohort study (2021) · cites this paper as [29]
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Associations of Psychosocial Factors with the Stress of Infertility Treatment
Schneider, M. G., & Forthofer, M. S. (2005) · Health & Social Work · doi:10.1093/hsw/30.3.183 · Cited by 59 · cited 1× · see citing works
“The experience of infertility can cause those affected personal distress (Schneider and Forthofer, 2005; Greil et al. , 2011), significant treatment costs (Bell, 2010) and, in some contexts, ostracism and discrimination (Cui, 2010).”
Analysis why nulliparous women over age 33 wish to use contraception
Proudfoot, S., Wellings, K., & Glasier, A. F. (2008) · Contraception · doi:10.1016/j.contraception.2008.09.005 · Cited by 49 · see citing works
Self-citationDhalwani, N. N., Fiaschi, L., West, J., & Tata, L. J. (2013) · Human Reproduction · doi:10.1093/humrep/des451 · Cited by 37 · cited 3× · see citing works
“A Danishstudyshowsa relationship betweenunsuccessfulARTandseveredepressivesymptomsayearafter initiating treatment (Lund et al. , 2009) and another, also Danish, found women who did not have a child after fertility treatment were more likely to commit suicide than those who did (Kjaer et al. , 2011).”
Ernst, E. H., Offersen, B. V., Andersen, C. Y., & Ernst, E. (2013) · Journal of Assisted Reproduction and Genetics · doi:10.1007/s10815-013-0026-x · Cited by 35 · see citing works
Cabrera‐León, A., Lopez-Villaverde, V., Rueda, M. D. M., & Moya-Garrido, M. N. (2015) · Human Reproduction · doi:10.1093/humrep/dev226 · Cited by 24 · cited 2× · see citing works
“Earlier estimates of women experiencing infertility range from around 1 in 5 (Bhattacharya et al. , 2009; Cabrera-Leo´n et al. , 2015) to around 1 in 10 (Evers, 2002) with the Na-tionalWomen’sHealthStudyreportingabout1in6(Oakley etal.”
In pursuit of higher education, do we postpone parenthood too long?
Sobotka, T. (2006) · Gender Medicine · doi:10.1016/s1550-8579(06)80206-8 · Cited by 21 · cited 2× · see citing works
“A consequence of postponement of parenthood is the potential for impaired fertility (Balasch, 2010) and the risk that deferral of parenthood will rule it out (Sobotka, 2006; Leridon, 2008).”
Hinton, L., Kurinczuk, J. J., & Ziébland, S. (2012) · British Journal of General Practice · doi:10.3399/bjgp12x649133 · Cited by 20 · cited 1× · see citing works
“…fertility with patients (Davies, 2015), greater access to fertility treatments (Bunting and Boivin, 2007)and an acknowledgement of the psychosocial impacts of infertility, including the long-term effects, by health practitioners and the availability of appropriate support (Hinton et al. , 2012).”
Morris, M., Oakley, L., Maconochie, N., & Doyle, P. (2010) · Human Fertility · doi:10.3109/14647273.2010.536609 · Cited by 19 · cited 4× · see citing works
“…the increase in women’s participation in further education (Andersson et al. , 2008; Nı´ and Beaujouan, 2012) and in career development (Martin, 2000; Morris et al., 2011), the absence of a ‘suitable’ partner (Proudfoot et al. , 2009), partner’s expectations (Iacovou and Tavares, 2011) and…”
InfluentialSchmidt, L., Hageman, I., Hougaard, C. Ø., Sejbæk, C. S., Assens, M., Ebdrup, N. H., & Pinborg, A. B. (2013) · BMJ Open · doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2012-002519 · Cited by 17 · cited 1× · see citing works
“,2008;Schmidt et al. , 2013).”
Andersen, C. Y., Ernst, E., Bærentzen, S., Birkebæk, N., & Clausen, N. (2014) · Journal of Assisted Reproduction and Genetics · doi:10.1007/s10815-014-0357-2 · Cited by 16 · see citing works
Seeking medical help to conceive.
Bushnik, T., Cook, J. L., Hughes, E. G., & Tough, S. (2012) · PubMed · Cited by 13 · see citing works
Women’s Educational Attainment and the Timing of Parenthood in Ghana: A Cohort Perspective
Gyimah, S. O. (2003) · Scholarship@Western (Western University) · Cited by 8 · see citing works
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Sun, H. J., Gong, T., Jiang, Y., Zhang, S., Zhao, Y., & Wu, Q. (2019) · Aging · doi:10.18632/aging.102497 · Cited by 657 · see citing works
“Another cross-sectional population survey showed that the ageadjusted odds of experiencing infertility were significantly higher among females who first gave birth at age 35 or older compared with those who did so before the age of 25 [9].”
BackgroundResultBarratt, C. L. R., Björndahl, L., De Jonge, C. J., Lamb, D. J., Osorio Martini, F., McLachlan, R., Oates, R. D., van der Poel, S., St John, B., Sigman, M., et al. (2017) · Human Reproduction Update · doi:10.1093/humupd/dmx021 · Cited by 505 · see citing works
“Current studies of male infertility often employ cross-sectional population study designs (e.g. Datta et al., 2016 above), or are observational studies of those men who present to infertility clinics.”
BackgroundFarquhar, C. M., Bhattacharya, S., Repping, S., Mastenbroek, S., Kamath, M. S., Marjoribanks, J., & Boivin, J. (2019) · Nature Reviews Disease Primers · doi:10.1038/s41572-018-0058-8 · Cited by 194 · see citing works
Liang, Y., Huang, J., Zhao, Q., Mo, H., Su, Z., Feng, S., Li, S., & Ruan, X. (2024) · Human Reproduction · doi:10.1093/humrep/deae292 · Cited by 204 · see citing works
Genetic abnormalities leading to qualitative defects of sperm morphology or function
Ray, P. F., Toure, A., Metzler‐Guillemain, C., Mitchell, M. J., Arnoult, C., & Coutton, C. (2017) · Clinical Genetics · doi:10.1111/cge.12905 · Cited by 179 · see citing works
Tubal flushing for subfertility
Mohiyiddeen, L., Hardiman, A., Fitzgerald, C. T., Hughes, E. G., Mol, B. W., JOHNSON, N. P., & Watson, A. (2015) · Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews · doi:10.1002/14651858.cd003718.pub4 · Cited by 165 · see citing works
Ribas‐Maynou, J., Yeste, M., Becerra‐Tomás, N., Aston, K. I., James, E. R., & Salas‐Huetos, A. (2021) · Biological reviews/Biological reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society · doi:10.1111/brv.12700 · Cited by 149 · see citing works
“Infertility affects millions of couples worldwide, with an incidence of between 7 and 15% (Datta et al., 2016).”
BackgroundThe Cervicovaginal Mucus Barrier
Lacroix, G., Gouyer, V., Gottrand, F., & Desseyn, J. (2020) · International Journal of Molecular Sciences · doi:10.3390/ijms21218266 · Cited by 148 · see citing works
“It protects the WGT from bacterial vaginosis and sexually transmitted infection, which, according to the World Health Organization, occur in more than one million people every day and contribute to infertility and preterm births [178,179].”
BackgroundSalas‐Huetos, A., Maghsoumi‐Norouzabad, L., James, E. R., Carrell, D. T., Aston, K. I., Jenkins, T. G., Becerra‐Tomás, N., Javid, A. Z., Abed, R., Torres, P. J., et al. (2020) · Obesity Reviews · doi:10.1111/obr.13082 · Cited by 144 · see citing works
“It is reported that about 15% of couples across the world are suffering from infertility.(1) There are several causes for infertility, however, about half of the causes are attributed to the male partner.”
BackgroundInfertility Stigma: A Qualitative Study on Feelings and Experiences of Infertile Women.
Taebi, M., Kariman, N., Montazeri, A., & Majd, H. A. (2021) · PubMed Central · doi:10.22074/ijfs.2021.139093.1039 · Cited by 139 · see citing works
“It can be seen as a developmental crisis (3).”
BackgroundAlizadeh, F., Javadi, M., Karami, A. A., Gholaminejad, F., Kavianpour, M., & Haghighian, H. K. (2017) · Phytotherapy Research · doi:10.1002/ptr.5998 · Cited by 138 · see citing works
“It is defined as the inability to conceive a pregnancy within 1 year (Datta et al., 2016).”
BackgroundQuercetin promotes in vitro maturation of oocytes from humans and aged mice
Cao, Y., Zhao, H., Wang, Z., Zhang, C., Bian, Y., Liu, X., Zhang, C., Zhang, X., & Zhao, Y. (2020) · Cell Death and Disease · doi:10.1038/s41419-020-03183-5 · Cited by 125 · see citing works
Prevalence and associated factors of infertility among 20–49 year old women in Henan Province, China
Liang, S., Chen, Y., Wang, Q., Chen, H., Cui, C., Xu, X., Zhang, Q., & Zhang, C. (2021) · Reproductive Health · doi:10.1186/s12978-021-01298-2 · Cited by 116 · see citing works
Long-term adjustment to unmet parenthood goals following ART: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Gameiro, S., & Finnigan, A. (2017) · Human Reproduction Update · doi:10.1093/humupd/dmx001 · Cited by 107 · see citing works
Kim, Y. R., White, N. M., Bräunig, J., Vijayasarathy, S., Mueller, J. F., Knox, C. L., Harden, F. A., Pacella, R., & Toms, L.-M. L. (2020) · Environmental Research · doi:10.1016/j.envres.2020.109963 · Cited by 101 · see citing works
Testicular organoids: a new model to study the testicular microenvironment in vitro?
Alves-Lopes, J. P., & Stukenborg, J. (2017) · Human Reproduction Update · doi:10.1093/humupd/dmx036 · Cited by 98 · see citing works
“Another cross-sectional population study performed in the UK found that 1 in 10 men reported unsuccessful attempts to father over a time period of 12 months, which is one of the criteria for infertility (Datta et al., 2016).”
BackgroundFemale alcohol consumption and fecundability: a systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis
Fan, D., Liu, L., Xia, Q., Wang, W., Wu, S., Tian, G., Liu, Y., Ni, J., Wu, S., Guo, X., et al. (2017) · Scientific Reports · doi:10.1038/s41598-017-14261-8 · Cited by 98 · see citing works
Ribas-Maynou, J., & Yeste, M. (2020) · Biology · doi:10.3390/biology9040077 · Cited by 88 · see citing works
“Human infertility is recognized as a disease by the World Health Organization (WHO) and has nowadays an estimated prevalence of 7%–15%, with 50–80 million people being affected around the world [1,2].”
BackgroundHuman sperm ion channel (dys)function: implications for fertilization
Brown, S. G., Publicover, S. J., Barratt, C. L. R., & da Silva, S. M. (2019) · Human Reproduction Update · doi:10.1093/humupd/dmz032 · Cited by 93 · see citing works
The effect of excess body fat on female and male reproduction
Mintziori, G., Nigdelis, M. P., Mathew, H., Mousiolis, A. C., Goulis, D. G., & Mantzoros, C. S. (2020) · Metabolism · doi:10.1016/j.metabol.2020.154193 · Cited by 94 · see citing works
Okoth, K., Wang, J., Zemedikun, D., Thomas, G., Nirantharakumar, K., & Adderley, N. (2021) · BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics & Gynaecology · doi:10.1111/1471-0528.16692 · Cited by 88 · see citing works
Diagnostic value of routine semen analysis in clinical andrology
Baskaran, S., Finelli, R., Agarwal, A. K., & Henkel, R. (2020) · Andrologia · doi:10.1111/and.13614 · Cited by 92 · see citing works
“Furthermore, it is estimated that around 50% of men requiring treatment for infertility seek for help (Datta et al., 2016).”
BackgroundLeijdekkers, J. A., Eijkemans, M. J. C., van Tilborg, T. C., Oudshoorn, S. C., McLernon, D. J., Bhattacharya, S., Mol, B. W., Broekmans, F. J., Torrance, H. L., & OPTIMIST group (2018) · Human Reproduction · doi:10.1093/humrep/dey263 · Cited by 86 · see citing works
Barbieri, R. L. (2019) · Elsevier eBooks · doi:10.1016/b978-0-323-47912-7.00022-6 · Cited by 85 · see citing works
Agarwal, A. K., Henkel, R., Huang, C., & Lee, M. (2019) · Andrologia · doi:10.1111/and.13440 · Cited by 81 · see citing works
Daibes, M. A., Safadi, R., Athamneh, T., Anees, I. F., & Constantino, R. E. (2017) · Culture Health & Sexuality · doi:10.1080/13691058.2017.1359672 · Cited by 82 · see citing works
“The worldwide prevalence of infertility among women of reproductive age is between 9 and 12.5% (Boivin et al. 2007; Datta et al. 2016).”
BackgroundInfluentialArya, S., Dwivedi, A. K., Alvarado, L. A., & Kupesic-Plavsic, S. (2020) · Environmental Pollution · doi:10.1016/j.envpol.2020.114763 · Cited by 79 · see citing works
Meiotic spindle assembly checkpoint and aneuploidy in males versus females
Lane, S. I. R., & Kauppi, L. (2018) · Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences · doi:10.1007/s00018-018-2986-6 · Cited by 80 · see citing works
Impact of thyroid disease on fertility and assisted conception
Unuane, D., & Velkeniers, B. (2020) · Best Practice & Research Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism · doi:10.1016/j.beem.2020.101378 · Cited by 78 · see citing works
Wu, S., Wang, M., Deng, Y. L., Qiu, J., Zhang, X., & Tan, J. (2020) · Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety · doi:10.1016/j.ecoenv.2020.110965 · Cited by 73 · see citing works
Li, Y., Wang, Y., Wen, Y., Zhang, T., Wang, X., Jiang, C., Zheng, R., Zhou, F., Chen, D., Yang, Y., et al. (2021) · Human Reproduction · doi:10.1093/humrep/deab229 · Cited by 73 · see citing works
Frequency, morbidity and equity — the case for increased research on male fertility
Kimmins, S., Anderson, R. A., Barratt, C. L. R., Behre, H. M., Catford, S. R., Jonge, C. J. D., Delbès, G., Eisenberg, M. L., Garrido, N., Houston, B. J., et al. (2023) · Nature Reviews Urology · doi:10.1038/s41585-023-00820-4 · Cited by 70 · see citing works
Ibañez-Perez, J., Santos-Zorrozua, B., Lopez-Lopez, E., Matorras, R., & Garcia-Orad, A. (2019) · Archives of Gynecology and Obstetrics · doi:10.1007/s00404-019-05045-8 · Cited by 70 · see citing works
Interventions for unexplained infertility: a systematic review and network meta-analysis
Wang, R., Danhof, N. A., Tjon-Kon-Fat, R. I., Eijkemans, M. J. C., Bossuyt, P. M., Mochtar, M. H., van der Veen, F., Bhattacharya, S., Mol, B. W., & van Wely, M. (2019) · Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews · doi:10.1002/14651858.cd012692.pub2 · Cited by 69 · see citing works
Genetics of teratozoospermia: Back to the head
Beurois, J., Cazin, C., Kherraf, Z.-E., Martinez, G., Celse, T., Touré, A., Arnoult, C., Ray, P. F., & Coutton, C. (2020) · Best Practice & Research Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism · doi:10.1016/j.beem.2020.101473 · Cited by 71 · see citing works
Xie, Z., Peng, Z., Yao, B., Chen, L., Mu, Y., Cheng, J., Li, Q., Luo, X., Yang, P.-Y., & Xia, Y. (2019) · BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine · doi:10.1186/s12906-019-2523-7 · Cited by 69 · see citing works
Bloom, M. S., Fujimoto, V. Y., Storm, R., Zhang, L., Butts, C. D., Sollohub, D., & Jansing, R. L. (2017) · Reproductive Toxicology · doi:10.1016/j.reprotox.2017.01.004 · Cited by 67 · see citing works
A higher prevalence of endometriosis among Asian women does not contribute to poorer IVF outcomes
Yamamoto, A., Johnstone, E. B., Bloom, M. S., Huddleston, H. G., & Fujimoto, V. Y. (2017) · Journal of Assisted Reproduction and Genetics · doi:10.1007/s10815-017-0919-1 · Cited by 67 · see citing works
“Since our study population was limited to women undergoing IVF from an infertility clinic, these findings may not be relevant to infertile women that do not seek treatment or to women from IVF clinics with different selection factors, and so these results should be generalized with caution [49, 50].”
ResultNot every sperm is sacred; a perspective on male infertility.
Aitken, R. (2018) · Molecular human reproduction · doi:10.1093/molehr/gay010 · Cited by 57 · see citing works
Passet-Wittig, J., & Greil, A. L. (2021) · Social Science & Medicine · doi:10.1016/j.socscimed.2021.113782 · Cited by 60 · see citing works
Rebuilding the human testis in vitro
Oliver, E., & Stukenborg, J. (2019) · Andrology · doi:10.1111/andr.12710 · Cited by 58 · see citing works
Zhu, C., Li, Y., Wang, Y., Ji, S., Zhang, Y., & Zhang, J. (2022) · Frontiers in Public Health · doi:10.3389/fpubh.2022.879672 · Cited by 57 · see citing works
“Couples with physical infertility may seek medical support (4).”
BackgroundTherapeutic Potential of Date Palm against Human Infertility: A Review
Shehzad, M., Rasheed, H., Naqvi, S. A., Al-Khayri, J. M., Lorenzo, J. M., Alaghbari, M. A., Manzoor, M. F., & Aadil, R. M. (2021) · Metabolites · doi:10.3390/metabo11060408 · Cited by 55 · see citing works
Imrie, R., Ghosh, S., Narvekar, N. N., Vigneswaran, K., Wang, Y., & Savvas, M. (2021) · Human Fertility · doi:10.1080/14647273.2021.1957503 · Cited by 51 · see citing works
“In Britain, it is estimated that only 57% of women and 53% of men with infertility seek medical care (Datta et al., 2016).”
BackgroundIngle, M. E., Bloom, M. S., Parsons, P. J., Steuerwald, A. J., Kruger, P. C., & Fujimoto, V. Y. (2016) · Journal of Assisted Reproduction and Genetics · doi:10.1007/s10815-016-0853-7 · Cited by 50 · see citing works
“Women undergoing IVF comprise a highly select group whose health-related behaviors and dietary habits might lead to different trace element exposure patterns compared to women with unrecognized or untreated infertility, or to women conceiving spontaneously [1, 53].”
BackgroundSemen infections in men with primary infertility in the real-life setting
Boeri, L., Pederzoli, F., Capogrosso, P., Abbate, C., Alfano, M., Mancini, N., Clementi, M., Montanari, E., Montorsi, F., & Salonia, A. (2020) · Fertility and Sterility · doi:10.1016/j.fertnstert.2020.01.034 · Cited by 49 · see citing works
Wang, C., Kuo, C.-Y., Chen, C., Hsieh, Y.-H., & Su, E. C. (2022) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0267554 · Cited by 47 · see citing works
Kelly-Hedrick, M., Grunberg, P. H., Brochu, F., & Zelkowitz, P. (2018) · Journal of Medical Internet Research · doi:10.2196/10199 · Cited by 47 · see citing works
“Prevalence rates are similar or higher in the United States and European countries, with estimates ranging from 10% to 28% [3-7].”
BackgroundLe, H. L., Francke, M. I., Andrews, L. M., de Winter, B. C. M., van Gelder, T., & Hesselink, D. A. (2020) · Therapeutic Drug Monitoring · doi:10.1097/ftd.0000000000000769 · Cited by 47 · see citing works
Tubal flushing for subfertility
Wang, R., Watson, A., JOHNSON, N. P., Cheung, K., Fitzgerald, C. T., Mol, B. W., & Mohiyiddeen, L. (2020) · Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews · doi:10.1002/14651858.cd003718.pub5 · Cited by 47 · see citing works
Male infertility and gonadotropin treatment: What can we learn from real-world data?
Esteves, S. C., Achermann, A. P. P., Simoni, M., Santi, D., & Casarini, L. (2022) · Best Practice & Research Clinical Obstetrics & Gynaecology · doi:10.1016/j.bpobgyn.2022.102310 · Cited by 45 · see citing works
Association of childhood obesity with female infertility in adulthood: a 25-year follow-up study
He, Y., Tian, J., Oddy, W. H., Dwyer, T., & Venn, A. (2018) · Fertility and Sterility · doi:10.1016/j.fertnstert.2018.05.011 · Cited by 45 · see citing works
Morshed-Behbahani, B., Lamyian, M., Joulaei, H., Rashidi, B. H., & Montazeri, A. (2020) · Globalization and Health · doi:10.1186/s12992-020-00617-9 · Cited by 45 · see citing works
Celse, T., Cazin, C., Mietton, F., Martinez, G., Martinez, D., Thierry-Mieg, N., Septier, A., Guillemain, C., Beurois, J., Clergeau, A., et al. (2021) · Human Genetics · doi:10.1007/s00439-020-02229-0 · Cited by 42 · see citing works
Paternal programming of offspring health
Watkins, A. J., Rubini, E., Hosier, E. D., & Morgan, H. L. (2020) · Early Human Development · doi:10.1016/j.earlhumdev.2020.105185 · Cited by 43 · see citing works
Human Papillomavirus and Infertility
Jeršovienė, V., Gudlevičienė, Ž., Rimienė, J., & Butkauskas, D. (2019) · Medicina · doi:10.3390/medicina55070377 · Cited by 42 · see citing works
“Infertility is a worldwide problem which affects about 10–30% of couples of reproductive age [3,4].”
BackgroundFallara, G., Cazzaniga, W., Boeri, L., Capogrosso, P., Candela, L., Pozzi, E., Belladelli, F., Schifano, N., Ventimiglia, E., Abbate, C., et al. (2020) · Andrology · doi:10.1111/andr.12947 · Cited by 42 · see citing works
“Noteworthy, we confirmed that men seeking medical help for primary couple's infertility were relatively old,[20,21] in line with the evidences of increasing age at presentation in infertile couples, and that they had a relevant burden of sperm abnormalities.[22] This latter finding was further outlined by a trend towa…”
ResultInfertility-related stress and sexual satisfaction: a dyadic approach
Radoš, S. N., Vraneš, H. S., Tomić, J., & Kuna, K. (2020) · Journal of Psychosomatic Obstetrics & Gynecology · doi:10.1080/0167482x.2020.1752658 · Cited by 41 · see citing works
Maciejewski, R., Radzikowska-Büchner, E., Flieger, W., Kulczycka, K., Baj, J., Forma, A., & Flieger, J. (2022) · International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · doi:10.3390/ijerph191711066 · Cited by 40 · see citing works
“Given the high prevalence of infertility worldwide [17,18] and the fact that exposure to toxic trace elements is extremely common, growing attention has been given to the potential effects of exposure to toxic trace elements on human fertility [19,20].”
BackgroundWang, X., Wang, Y., Wei, S., He, B., Cao, Y., Zhang, N., & Li, M. (2021) · Frontiers in Public Health · doi:10.3389/fpubh.2021.651811 · Cited by 39 · see citing works
“(29) English 7 (1,366) TA Sham acupuncture or no adjunctive treatment Before and after ET CPR/LBR/OPR Cochrane handbook Meta-analysis”
BackgroundSperm agglutination: Prevalence and contributory factors
Berger, G. K., Smith-Harrison, L. I., & Sandlow, J. I. (2019) · Andrologia · doi:10.1111/and.13254 · Cited by 38 · see citing works
“Male infertility, more specifically, car‐ ries a common prevalence at approximately 10% of all men (ages 16– 74) (Datta et al., 2016).”
BackgroundA pilot investigation of couple-level phthalates exposure and in vitro fertilization (IVF) outcomes
Begum, T. F., Fujimoto, V. Y., Gerona, R. R. L., McGough, A., Lenhart, N. J., Wong, R., Mok-Lin, E. Y., Melamed, J., Butts, C. D., & Bloom, M. S. (2020) · Reproductive Toxicology · doi:10.1016/j.reprotox.2020.11.014 · Cited by 38 · see citing works
A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Male Infertility and the Subsequent Risk of Cancer
Behboudi‐Gandevani, S., Yarandi, R. B., Panahi, M. H., & Vaismoradi, M. (2021) · Frontiers in Oncology · doi:10.3389/fonc.2021.696702 · Cited by 38 · see citing works
“The experience of infertility may negatively impact on personal health behaviors (31) and in some contexts, it may hinder taking further actions to prevent health-related problems or seek appropriate treatments (29).”
BackgroundAssessment of hormonal status in male infertility. An update
Concepción‐Zavaleta, M. J., Paz‐Ibarra, J., Ramos-Yataco, A., Arroyo, J., Urteaga, L. A. C., Roseboom, P. J., & Williams, C. A. (2022) · Diabetes & Metabolic Syndrome Clinical Research & Reviews · doi:10.1016/j.dsx.2022.102447 · Cited by 37 · see citing works
Daly, M. P., White, J., Sanders, J., & Kipping, R. (2022) · BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth · doi:10.1186/s12884-022-05058-3 · Cited by 36 · see citing works
“(2010–2012; Britain) – 8869 women aged 16 to 74 years [44] No 745 89.”
Membrane Potential Assessment by Fluorimetry as a Predictor Tool of Human Sperm Fertilizing Capacity
Graf, C. B., Ritagliati, C., Monserrat, V. T., Stival, C., Carizza, C., Buffone, M. G., & Krapf, D. (2020) · Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology · doi:10.3389/fcell.2019.00383 · Cited by 36 · see citing works
“Keywords: membrane potential, sperm capacitation, in vitro fertilization, acrosome reaction, human infertility INTRODUCTION Infertility is a worldwide public health problem affecting∼1 in 7, or∼80 million couples worldwide (Slama et al., 2012; Datta et al., 2016).”
BackgroundPsychosocial Consequences of Female Infertility in Iran: A Meta-Analysis
Yazdi, H. Z. G., Sharbaf, H. A., Kareshki, H., & Amirian, M. (2020) · Frontiers in Psychiatry · doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2020.518961 · Cited by 36 · see citing works
Cannarella, R., Crafa, A., Condorelli, R. A., Mongioì, L. M., Vignera, S. L., & Calogero, A. E. (2021) · Systems Biology in Reproductive Medicine · doi:10.1080/19396368.2021.1909667 · Cited by 36 · see citing works
“Cross-sectional studies indicate that male infertility, defined as a history of infertility exceeding 12 months in the male partner, ranges from 9 to 16%, depending on the population studied (Geelhoed et al. 2002; Klemetti et al. 2010; Louis et al. 2013; Datta et al. 2016).”
BackgroundMena, G. P., Mielke, G. I., & Brown, W. J. (2019) · Human Reproduction · doi:10.1093/humrep/dez300 · Cited by 35 · see citing works
Experiences and psychological distress of fertility treatment and employment
Payne, N., Seenan, S., & van den Akker, O. (2018) · Journal of Psychosomatic Obstetrics & Gynecology · doi:10.1080/0167482x.2018.1460351 · Cited by 34 · see citing works
“tending to be white, middle class, educated, professional, older and in cohabiting relationships [28] and”
BackgroundRecent advances in mammalian reproductive biology
Wen, L., Liu, Q., Xu, J.-J., Liu, X., Shi, C.-Y., Yang, Z., Zhang, Y., Xu, H., Liu, J., Yang, H., et al. (2019) · Science China Life Sciences · doi:10.1007/s11427-019-1572-7 · Cited by 33 · see citing works
Tsao, Y., Yang, C., Wen, Y., Chang, T., Matsuura, K., Chen, Y., & Cheng, C. (2020) · Bioengineering & Translational Medicine · doi:10.1002/btm2.10176 · Cited by 33 · see citing works
“), less men seek medical assistance with infertility than women.(10) This imbalance may be attributable to cultural stigmas and men's' fears over loss of social status.”
BackgroundOligogenic heterozygous inheritance of sperm abnormalities in mouse
Martinez, G., Coutton, C., Loeuillet, C., Cazin, C., Muroňová, J., Boguenet, M., Lambert, E., Dhellemmes, M., Chevalier, G., Hograindleur, J., et al. (2022) · eLife · doi:10.7554/elife.75373 · Cited by 31 · see citing works
Quintero-Ronderos, P., & Laissue, P. (2020) · Reproductive Sciences · doi:10.1007/s43032-020-00187-6 · Cited by 33 · see citing works
“Human infertility is a frequently occurring disease, affecting more than 50 to 80 million couples worldwide.(1,2) Despite advances in diagnosis and treatment, the disease etiology remains unexplained in more than 30% of cases, strongly suggesting the involvement of genetic, epigenetic, and environmental factors.”
BackgroundButts, C. D., Bloom, M. S., McGough, A., Lenhart, N. J., Wong, R., Mok-Lin, E. Y., Parsons, P. J., Galusha, A. L., Browne, R. W., Yucel, R. M., et al. (2021) · Human Reproduction Open · doi:10.1093/hropen/hoab023 · Cited by 32 · see citing works
“IVF populations are highly selected with respect to age, marital status and socioeconomic class, which may limit the generalizability of our study results (Datta et al., 2016; Farland et al., 2016).”
BackgroundSperm DNA damage compromises embryo development, but not oocyte fertilisation in pigs
Mateo-Otero, Y., Llavanera, M., Recuero, S., Delgado-Bermúdez, A., Barranco, I., Ribas-Maynou, J., & Yeste, M. (2022) · Biological Research · doi:10.1186/s40659-022-00386-2 · Cited by 29 · see citing works
Galhardo, A., Alves, J., Moura-Ramos, M., & Cunha, M. (2020) · Journal of Reproductive and Infant Psychology · doi:10.1080/02646838.2019.1612046 · Cited by 31 · see citing works
“More recently, Datta et al. (2016) stated that one in eight women and one in ten men experience infertility.”
BackgroundKNDy neurones and GnRH / LH pulse generation: Current understanding and future aspects
Uenoyama, Y., & Tsukamura, H. (2023) · Journal of Neuroendocrinology · doi:10.1111/jne.13285 · Cited by 29 · see citing works
Hanson, B. M., Tao, X., Zhan, Y., Kim, J. G., Klimczak, A. M., Herlihy, N. S., Scott, R. T., & Seli, E. U. (2020) · Fertility and Sterility · doi:10.1016/j.fertnstert.2020.09.164 · Cited by 31 · see citing works
“Emerging role of Novel Seminal Plasma Bio-markers in Male Infertility: A Review”
Kumar, N., & Singh, N. K. (2020) · European Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology and Reproductive Biology · doi:10.1016/j.ejogrb.2020.08.015 · Cited by 31 · see citing works
Associations between epigenetic age acceleration and infertility
Lee, Y., Bohlin, J., Page, C. M., Nustad, H. E., Harris, J. R., Magnus, P. M., Jugessur, A., Magnus, M. C., Håberg, S. E., & Hanevik, H. I. (2022) · Human Reproduction · doi:10.1093/humrep/deac147 · Cited by 31 · see citing works
The effect of yoga on stress level in infertile women
Kirca, N., & Pasinlioglu, T. (2019) · Perspectives in Psychiatric Care · doi:10.1111/ppc.12352 · Cited by 31 · see citing works
Dai, J., Chen, Y., Li, Q., Zhang, T., Zhou, Q., Gong, F., Lu, G., Zheng, W., & Lin, G. (2022) · Molecular Human Reproduction · doi:10.1093/molehr/gaac028 · Cited by 29 · see citing works
Siristatidis, C. S., Vaidakis, D., Sertedaki, E., & Martins, W. P. (2017) · Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology · doi:10.1002/uog.17550 · Cited by 29 · see citing works
“82) 429 (3) ⊕◦◦◦ Very low‡§ Clinical pregnancy – male factor 30 29 (15–55) 0.”
Laissue, P. (2017) · Molecular and Cellular Endocrinology · doi:10.1016/j.mce.2017.07.021 · Cited by 29 · see citing works
“Although precise infertility prevalence has been difficult to establish, especially due to differences regarding its definition and because study populations vary depending on the pertinent inclusion/exclusion factors, 5%e20% has been reported (Datta et al., 2016; Mascarenhas et al., 2012).”
Hallberg, I., Plassmann, M. M., Olovsson, M. H., Holte, J., Damdimopoulou, P., Sjunnesson, Y. C. B., Benskin, J. P., & Persson, S. (2021) · Environmental Science Processes & Impacts · doi:10.1039/d1em00211b · Cited by 31 · see citing works
McBrinn, R. C., Fraser, J., Hope, A. G., Gray, D. W., Barratt, C. L. R., da Silva, S. M., & Brown, S. G. (2019) · British Journal of Pharmacology · doi:10.1111/bph.14814 · Cited by 28 · see citing works
“Male infertility is a significant health challenge that is estimated to affect one in 10 men (Datta et al., 2016).”
BackgroundMedically assisted reproduction in developed countries: Overview and societal challenges
Passet-Wittig, J., & Bujard, M. (2021) · Research Handbook on the Sociology of the Family · doi:10.4337/9781788975544.00039 · Cited by 27 · see citing works
“The availability of financial resources is an important factor in people’s decisions about whether to seek fertility treatment across countries (United States: e.g., Farland et al. 2016; United Kingdom: e.g., Datta et al. 2016; Germany: e.g., Passet-Wittig 2017).”
BackgroundDevlin, D. J., Nozawa, K., Ikawa, M., & Matzuk, M. M. (2020) · Biology of Reproduction · doi:10.1093/biolre/ioaa082 · Cited by 27 · see citing works
“Infertility is a condition that affects an estimated 15% of couples globally, and of which, nearly half of these cases are attributed to a male factor [1, 2].”
BackgroundKiani, Z., Simbar, M., Hajian, S., & Zayeri, F. (2020) · Nursing Open · doi:10.1002/nop2.624 · Cited by 27 · see citing works
“Of these couples, only 56% seek appropriate treatments (Datta et al., 2016).”
BackgroundZhu, C., Li, Y., He, C., Wang, Y., Wu, J., Chen, L., & Zhang, J. (2022) · Reproductive Health · doi:10.1186/s12978-022-01459-x · Cited by 27 · see citing works
“However, previous studies have found that diseases of the reproductive system and social and psychological factors contribute to infertility [2, 3].”
BackgroundArtificial intelligence and assisted reproductive technology: A comprehensive systematic review
Wu, Y.-C., Su, E. C., Hou, J.-H., Lin, C.-J., Lin, K. B., & Chen, C.-H. (2025) · Taiwanese Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology · doi:10.1016/j.tjog.2024.10.001 · Cited by 26 · see citing works
Leiva, R. A., McNamara-Kilian, M., Niezgoda, H., Écochard, R., & Bouchard, T. P. (2019) · BMJ Open · doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2018-028496 · Cited by 26 · see citing works
“IntroduCtIon It is estimated that about 12%–15% of couples may experience infertility.(1) 2 The literature recommends providing couples with fertility education that encourages the use of fertility awareness methods (FAMs), promoting preconception health (ie, weight loss, smoking cessation), and prescribing low-cost f…”
da Silva, S. M., Brown, S. G., Sutton, K. A., King, L. V., Ruso, H., Gray, D. W., Wyatt, P. G., Kelly, M. C., Barratt, C. L. R., & Hope, A. G. (2017) · Human Reproduction · doi:10.1093/humrep/dex055 · Cited by 26 · see citing works
“Infertility is a significant global problem affecting ~1 in 7, or ~80 million couples (Slama et al., 2012; Datta et al., 2016).”
BackgroundDecoding the Puzzle of Male Infertility: The Role of Infection, Inflammation, and Autoimmunity
Sciorio, R., Paola, L. D., Notari, T., Ganduscio, S., Amato, P., Crifasi, L., Marotto, D., Billone, V., Cucinella, G., Perino, A., et al. (2025) · Diagnostics · doi:10.3390/diagnostics15050547 · Cited by 25 · see citing works
“Infertility is involved in about 15% of couples worldwide [1], and male factors are implicated in about half of infertile treatments.”
Chambers, G. M., Harrison, C. M., Raymer, J., Raymer, A. K. P., Britt, H. C., CHAPMAN, M. G., Ledger, W. J., & Norman, R. J. (2019) · Human Reproduction · doi:10.1093/humrep/dez172 · Cited by 25 · see citing works
Iba, A., Maeda, E., Jwa, S. C., Yanagisawa‐Sugita, A., Saito, K., Kuwahara, A., Saito, H., Terada, Y., Ishihara, O., & Kobayashi, Y. (2021) · Reproductive Health · doi:10.1186/s12978-021-01212-w · Cited by 25 · see citing works
Afferri, A., Allen, H., Dierickx, S., Bittaye, M., Marena, M., Pacey, A. A., & Balen, J. (2022) · BMC Health Services Research · doi:10.1186/s12913-022-08514-0 · Cited by 26 · see citing works
Sõritsa, D., Mäestu, E., Nuut, M., Mäestu, J., Migueles, J. H., Läänelaid, S., Ehrenberg, A., Sekavin, A., Sõritsa, A., Salumets, A., et al. (2020) · Journal of Assisted Reproduction and Genetics · doi:10.1007/s10815-020-01864-w · Cited by 24 · see citing works
“5 million couples worldwide, and is steadily increasing with the trend to delay the time of first pregnancy in developed countries, and now also in developing countries [3].”
BackgroundWarchoł-Biedermann, K. (2021) · American Journal of Men s Health · doi:10.1177/1557988320982167 · Cited by 24 · see citing works
“It affects up to 10%–15% of the population, a large proportion of whom is seeking medical help for the problem (Boivin et al., 2007; Datta et al., 2016).”
Background
- Authors
- Datta, J., Palmer, M. J., Tanton, C., Gibson, L. J., Jones, K. G., Macdowall, W., Glasier, A., Sonnenberg, P., Field, N., Mercer, C. H., Johnson, A. M., & Wellings, K.
- Affiliations
- London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (GB)
- Mortimer Market Centre (GB)
- Corresponding author
- Datta, J.
- ORCID
- Venue
- Human Reproduction
- Publisher
- Oxford University Press (OUP)
- Published
- 2016-06-30
- Volume
- 31
- Issue
- 9
- Pages
- 2108-2118
- ISSN
- 0268-1161 (ISSN-L)
- 1460-2350
- PMC
- PMC4991655
- OpenAlex
- W2464514360
- Cited by
- 471
- References
- 69
- Citations by year
- 2026: 28 · 2025: 41 · 2024: 52 · 2023: 62 · 2022: 76 · 2021: 66 · 2020: 70 · 2019: 39 · 2018: 18 · 2017: 16 · 2016: 2 · 2015: 1
- FWCI
- 33.25
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- hybrid
- doi.org
- Licence
- cc-by
- Locations
- Human Reproduction (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- LSHTM Research Online (London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine) (acceptedVersion)
- UCL Discovery (University College London) (submittedVersion)
- HighWire Press Open Archive (submittedVersion)
- Edinburgh Research Explorer (University of Edinburgh) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
- Funders
- Medical Research Council and the Wellcome Trust
- Economic and Social Research Council and Department of Health
- National Institute for Health Research Methods Fellowship
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Reproductive Medicine › Reproductive Health and Technologies
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Reproductive Health and Contraception
- Social Sciences › Gender Studies › Demographic Trends and Gender Preferences
- Keywords
- infertility prevalence, help-seeking, fertility problems, delayed parenthood, socioeconomic disparities, educational attainment, occupational status, cohabitation, age at first birth, Natsal-3, Great Britain, recall bias
- MeSH terms
- Adolescent, Adult, Aged, Cross-Sectional Studies, Female, United Kingdom, Humans, Infertility, Female, Infertility, Male, Male, Middle Aged, Patient Acceptance of Health Care, Surveys and Questionnaires, Prevalence, Young Adult
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