Dataset Information

Prevalence of infertility and help seeking among 15 000 women and men.

ABSTRACT:

Study question

What is the prevalence of infertility and of help seeking among women and men in Britain?

Summary answer

One in eight women and one in ten men aged 16-74 years had experienced infertility, defined by unsuccessfully attempting pregnancy for a year or longer, and little more than half of these people sought medical or professional help.

What is known already

Estimates of infertility and help seeking in Britain vary widely and are not easily comparable because of different definitions and study populations.

Study design, size, duration

A cross-sectional population survey was conducted between 2010 and 2012 with a sample of 15 162 women and men aged 16-74 years.

Participants/materials, setting, methods

Participants completed the Natsal-3 questionnaire, using computer-assisted personal interviewing (CAPI) and computer-assisted self-interview (CASI).

Main results and the role of chance

The reported prevalence of infertility was 12.5% (CI 95% 11.7-13.3) among women and 10.1% (CI 95% 9.2-11.1) among men. Increased prevalence was associated with later cohabitation with a partner, higher socio-economic status and, for those who had a child, becoming parents at older ages. The reported prevalence of help seeking was 57.3% (CI 95% 53.6-61.0) among women and 53.2% (CI 95% 48.1-58.1) among men. Help seekers were more likely to be better educated and in higher status occupations and, among those who had a child, to have become parents later in life.

Limitations, reasons for caution

These data are cross-sectional so it is not possible to establish temporality or infer causality. Self-reported data may be subject to recall bias.

Wider implications of the findings

The study provides estimates of infertility and help seeking in Britain and the results indicate that the prevalence of infertility is higher among those delaying parenthood. Those with higher educational qualifications and occupational status are more likely to consult with medical professionals for fertility problems than others and these inequalities in help seeking should be considered by clinical practice and public health.

Study funding/competing interests

Funding was provided by grants from the Medical Research Council and the Wellcome Trust, with support from the Economic and Social Research Council and the Department of Health. AMJ is a Governor of the Wellcome Trust. Other authors have no competing interests.

SUBMITTER: Datta J

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4991655 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Publications

Prevalence of infertility and help seeking among 15 000 women and men.

Datta J J Palmer M J MJ Tanton C C Gibson L J LJ Jones K G KG Macdowall W W Glasier A A Sonnenberg P P Field N N Mercer C H CH Johnson A M AM Wellings K K

Human reproduction (Oxford, England) 20160630 9

<h4>Study question</h4>What is the prevalence of infertility and of help seeking among women and men in Britain?<h4>Summary answer</h4>One in eight women and one in ten men aged 16-74 years had experienced infertility, defined by unsuccessfully attempting pregnancy for a year or longer, and little more than half of these people sought medical or professional help.<h4>What is known already</h4>Estimates of infertility and help seeking in Britain vary widely and are not easily comparable because o ...[more]

PMID: 27365525

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Project description:BackgroundSexual problems are extremely common for women after breast cancer (BC).AimTo determine, in a sample of BC outpatients, how commonly women sought help for sexual concerns, from a health care provider (HCP), from other individuals, or from alternate sources; and to examine whether help-seeking was associated with women's sexual function/activity, self-efficacy for clinical communication about sexual health, or sociodemographic/medical characteristics.MethodsBC patients participating in a sexual/menopausal health communication intervention trial completed web-based baseline self-report surveys. One-way analysis of variances compared effects of the level of sexual help-seeking (none; 1 outlet; 2-3 outlets) on sexual function domains. Chi-square or t-tests compared women seeking help with those not seeking help on other study variables.Main outcome measuresPatient-reported outcome instruments assessed sexual help-seeking (past month), sexual function and activity (PROMIS Sexual Function and Satisfaction Brief Profile Version 2.0), and self-efficacy (confidence) for communicating with their BC clinician about sexual health.Results144 women (mean age = 56.0 years; 62% partnered; 67% white; 27% black/African American; 4% Hispanic/Latina; 15% stage IV) participated in this study. 49% of women sought help for sexual concerns, most often from intimate partners, family and/or friends (42%), followed by HCPs (24%), or online/print materials (19%); very few women (n = 4; 3%) sought help only from a HCP. Women seeking help were younger and more likely to be partnered and sexually active than those not seeking help. Sexual function was impaired for all domains but was most impaired for sexual interest. Among sexually active women, those seeking help from 2 to 3 sources reported worse sexual function in certain domains (sexual interest, lubrication, vaginal discomfort, vulvar discomfort-labial, satisfaction). Women seeking help from outlets other than HCPs had significantly lower self-efficacy than those who did not.Clinical implicationsBC patients with access to a partner and who are sexually active but find sex unsatisfying, uncomfortable, or lack interest may be in particular need of sexual help. Further, women may turn to outlets other than HCPs for sexual help partly because they lack the confidence to do so with a HCP. Sexual health information should be made available to women's partners, family, and friends, so they may effectively discuss such issues if needed.Strengths & limitationsStrengths of the study included examination of a range of sexual function domains and a theoretical construct in relation to BC patients' sexual help-seeking and a medically diverse sample. Limitations include a cross-sectional design.ConclusionWomen treated for BC should receive accurate and timely sexual health information. Reese JB, Sorice KA, Pollard W, et al. Understanding Sexual Help-Seeking for Women With Breast Cancer: What Distinguishes Women Who Seek Help From Those Who Do Not? J Sex Med 2020;17:1729-1739.

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Dataset Information

Prevalence of infertility and help seeking among 15 000 women and men.

Study question

Summary answer

What is known already

Study design, size, duration

Participants/materials, setting, methods

Main results and the role of chance

Limitations, reasons for caution

Wider implications of the findings

Study funding/competing interests

Publications

Prevalence of infertility and help seeking among 15 000 women and men.

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