What is Infertility?

Infertility is the inability to get pregnant after one year of trying (six months of trying if 35 or over).

According to this site, pregnancy is the result of a process that has many steps.  To get pregnant:

• A woman's body must release an egg from one of her ovaries (ovulation).
• The egg must go through a fallopian tube toward the uterus.
• 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 occurs if there are issues with any of these steps.  A woman who can get pregnant but can't stay pregnant is also considered infertile.

1 in 8 couples experience some form of infertility, so it's likely you have several friends struggling with this who just aren't talking about it.