New study reveals many people do not seek medical help for infertility

A new UK study has indicated that nearly half of people in the UK who are infertile do not seek medical help.

The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine research analysed data from 15,162 women and men aged between 16 and 74 years who took part in Britain's third National Survey of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles between 2010 and 2012.

It was shown that one in eight women and one in ten men have experienced infertility, with the prevalence of infertility highest among women aged 35 to 44 years and among men aged 35 to 54.

The study also showed that 42.7 percent of women and 46.8 percent of men who reported experiencing infertility did not seek medical help for the problem. Those who did seek help were more likely to have higher educational qualifications, better jobs and, among those who had a child, to have become parents later.

Jessica Datta, a lecturer at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, said: "We were surprised that almost half of the people in our study who had experienced infertility had not sought help."