We talk about infertility when no pregnancy is declared after 1 or 2 years of regular and unprotected intercourse. It is important to distinguish infertility from sterility, where sterility refers to the irreversible inability of the couple to naturally conceive and give birth to a healthy child. In contrast, most types of infertility can be treated with medical procedures or laboratory techniques.
In the absence of any abnormalities, a fertile and healthy couple has no more than a 1 in 4 chance per cycle of having a pregnancy. Natural reproduction assumes that the different genitals in women (ovaries, tubes, uterus) and in men (testis, excretory ducts) are in good coordination and that sexual intercourse takes place at the right time vis-à-vis ovulation.
The causes of infertility are multiple and affect both men and women with the same frequency. Infertility in couples can have multiple roots. In women, for example, one of the most common causes is a decrease in ovarian reserve (from the age of 35), an ovulation disorder or the presence of a disease such as endometriosis.