Most experts define infertility as not being able to get pregnant after at least one year of trying. Women who are able to get pregnant but then have repeat miscarriages are also said to be infertile.

Pregnancy is the result of a complex chain of events. In order to get pregnant:

A woman must release an egg from one of her ovaries (ovulation). The egg must go through a fallopian tube toward the uterus (womb). A man's sperm must join with (fertilize) the egg along the way. The fertilized egg must attach to the inside of the uterus (implantation). Infertility can result from problems that interfere with any of these steps.

Most experts define infertility as not being able to get pregnant after at least one year of trying. Women who are able to get pregnant but then have repeat miscarriages are also said to be infertile. About 12% of women (7.3 million) in the United States aged 15-44 had difficulty getting pregnant or carrying a baby to term in 2002, according to the National Center for Health Statistics. No, infertility is not always a woman's problem. In about one-third of cases, infertility is due to the woman (female factors). In another third of cases, infertility is due to the man (male factors). The remaining cases are caused by a mixture of male and female factors or by unknown factors.

Most experts define infertility as not being able to get pregnant after at least one year of trying. Women who are able to get pregnant but then have repeat miscarriages are also said to be infertile.

Pregnancy is the result of a complex chain of events. In order to get pregnant:

A woman must release an egg from one of her ovaries (ovulation). The egg must go through a fallopian tube toward the uterus (womb). A man's sperm must join with (fertilize) the egg along the way. The fertilized egg must attach to the inside of the uterus (implantation).