Infertility- its definitions and types

Infertility is generally characterized by the biological inability of a man or a woman to conceive. In defining infertility, reproductive endocrinologists and the doctors mark a couple to be infertile if female partner of the couple:

• has not conceived after 12 months of contraceptive-free intercourse if she is under 34

• has not conceived after 6 months of contraceptive-free intercourse if she is over 35

• is incapable of carrying a pregnancy to full term.

In another way infertility can be of two types – primary and secondary. Couples with primary infertility have never been able to conceive, while, secondary infertility in couples means they are facing difficulty in conceiving, although they have already been succeeded to conceive and to carry a normal pregnancy. Again Infertility can be Single-Partner Infertility where infertility in a couple occurs because of either the woman or the man, but not both. For a Combined infertility it may be the case that both the man and woman are infertile or sub-fertile, or the case that each partner is independently fertile but the couple cannot conceive together without medical assistance.