Occurrence of fertility problems presenting to primary care: population-level estimates of clinical burden and socioeconomic inequalities across the UK

STUDY QUESTION What are the age-specific incident rates of clinically recorded fertility problems in women aged 15–49 years and how do they vary by socioeconomic group and geographic area. SUMMARY ANSWER The incident rate of recorded fertility problems was highest in women age 30–34 years: about 1% of women per annum. Overall rates did not vary by socioeconomic group; however, age-specific rates varied substantially by socioeconomic deprivation quintile; among younger women, deprivation was associated with higher infertility rates. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY AND WHAT THIS PAPER ADDS The rates of infertility in the UK range from 2 to 26%. Infertility definitions and denominators vary widely, and most current evidence is based on questionnaire studies that are subject to recall, reporting and selection bias. The current paper presents population-based estimates of clinically recorded fertility problems in women of reproductive age and the variation by age and socioeconomic deprivation quintile across different regions of the UK, using a nationally representative cohort of women that is larger than any previous study. Although infertility overall does not vary by socioeconomic status, consultation for fertility problems is closely related to socioeconomic patterns of women's age at first conception, demonstrating that many couples have pre-existing, rather than specifically age-related, infertility. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION This cohort study used data from The Heal...
Source: Human Reproduction - Category: Reproduction Medicine Authors: Tags: Infertility Source Type: research