September 1, 2022

World IVF Day: The ins and outs of infertility

The world has recently celebrated its 44th year's victory of the first successful IVF birth, done on July 25. To mark this occasion, we’ve looked at the ins, outs and statistics relating to infertility.

What is infertility?infertility?

Becoming a parent is a blessing for everyone, but many times due to certain complexities people remain bereft of this blessing. The developments in infertility treatments have been a great help to such couples. It has been 44 years since Louise Brown - the world's first IVF baby has born. After Louise, more than 8 million successful IVF births have taken place around the world.

Dr. Hrishikesh Pai says “ In recent times change in lifestyle has caused an increase in the infertility rates around the globe. Alongside, infertility treatments have also upgraded a lot and are improving the success rate, IVF being one of the best solutions.”

How common isis infertility?

  • About 9% of men and 10% of women aged 15 to 44 reported infertility problems in the United States. (CDC, 2013 and Office on Women’s Health, 2019
  • Globally, 48.5 million couples experience infertility. (Reproductive Biological Endocrinology, 2015
  • An estimated 15% of couples will have trouble conceiving. (UCLA Health, 2020)

Infertility statistics worldwideworldwide

  • 1 in 4 couples in developing countries is affected by infertility. (WHO, 2004)
  • 9 of 10 countries with the highest total fertility rate are in Africa followed by Afghanistan. (Central Intelligence Agency, 2017)
  • Southern Europe, Eastern Europe, and Eastern Asia have the lowest fertility rates in the world with an average of 1.5 children per woman. (UNFPA, 2018)
  • Sweden has one of the highest fertility rates in Europe (close to 1.9 children per woman). (UNFPA, 2018)

Infertility statistics byby sex

  • 30% of infertility cases can be attributed solely to the female, 30% can be attributed solely to the male, 30% can be attributed to a combination of both partners, and 10% of cases have an unknown cause. (Fertility Answers, 2020)
  • As reported by 9% of men aged 15 to 44 and 10% of women in the same age group, infertility is nearly as common in men as it is in women in the U.S. (CDC, 2013 and Office on Women’s Health, 2019)

Infertility statistics byby age

  • In general, fertility begins to decrease for most women in their 20s and 30s and declines more quickly after the age of 35. (American Society for Reproductive Medicine, 2012)
  • 1 in 4 healthy women in their 20s and 30s will get pregnant in any single menstrual cycle. (The American College of Obstetrics and Gynecologists, 2018)
  • Sperm quality generally doesn’t become a problem for men until after the age of 60. (American Society for Reproductive Medicine, 2012)
  • 1 in 10 healthy women in their 40s will get pregnant in any single menstrual cycle. (The American College of Obstetrics and Gynecologists, 2018)
  • Couples in which the male partner is 40 years or older are more likely to have difficulty conceiving. (CDC, 2019)

IVF statistics

  • Nearly 2% of live births in the U.S. are a result of assisted reproductive technology (ART). (CDC, 2017)
  • In one study of women seeking fertility treatment, 4% of women used medications only, 21% used IUI, 53% used IVF, and 22% did not pursue cycle-based treatment. (Fertility and Sterility, 2011)
  • In the U.S., 12% of women of childbearing age have used an infertility service (CDC, 2017).
  • Females aged 30 to 33 have the best chance of success (58%) during their first cycle of IVF compared to females of other age groups. (Fertility Solutions)