Definition of infertility

Infertility is the inability to conceive a child after having unprotected sexual intercourse for a period of at least one year. Although often the woman is blamed, infertility occurs in both men and women (figure above). In many low-resource countries, having children is one of the principal mechanisms maintaining the cohesion of the family. If a couple is unable to have children, it can create an unhappy marriage and result in divorce, even when both the husband and wife are infertile. In most African countries, a man's wealth is measured by the number of children he has. In rural areas, children are an important asset, as they will work on the land and care for their aged parents.