About infertility

Most couples (about 84 out of every 100) who do not use contraception and

have regular sexual intercourse will get pregnant within a year. Of every 100

couples who do not get pregnant in that first year about 92 of them will get

pregnant in the second year. Infertility affects 1 in 7 couples in the UK.

If you have not been able to get pregnant after 2 years of regular unprotected

sexual intercourse, this is known as being infertile. Either one or both of you

may have an infertility problem that needs to be investigated.

Your infertility may be due to an existing condition. In men it is usually

because of low numbers or poor quality of sperm. A woman may be infertile

because she cannot produce mature eggs or because her fallopian tubes are

damaged.

For nearly one third of people, no reason can be found for their infertility. This

is known as unexplained infertility.

Clinical Guidelines

Clinical guidelines are recommendations for good practice. The

recommendations in NICE guidelines are prepared by groups of health
professionals, lay representatives with personal experience or knowledge of
the condition being discussed, and scientists. The groups look at the evidence
available on the best way of treating or managing a condition and make
recommendations based on this evidence.