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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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“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]
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredThe check wasn’t confident either way, so it gives no verdict — never disputed.
In the citing paper
“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]
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredThe check wasn’t confident either way, so it gives no verdict — never disputed.
In the citing paper
“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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BackgroundA pilot investigation of couple-level phthalates exposure and in vitro fertilization (IVF) outcomes
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“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
Daly, M. P., White, J., Sanders, J., & Kipping, R. (2022) · BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth · doi:10.1186/s12884-022-05058-3 · Cited by 44
“(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
“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
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
“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
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
“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
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
“), 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
Quintero-Ronderos, P., & Laissue, P. (2020) · Reproductive Sciences · doi:10.1007/s43032-020-00187-6 · Cited by 33
“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
“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
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
“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 32
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
“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
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
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
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
Siristatidis, C. S., Vaidakis, D., Sertedaki, E., & Martins, W. P. (2017) · Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology · doi:10.1002/uog.17550 · Cited by 29
“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
“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
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
“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
“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
“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 29
“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
“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
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
“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
“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
“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
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
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
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 27
“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
“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
Metadata
- 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
- 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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