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Health Status > Maternal Health
Infertility Services
In 2002, almost 9 percent of women aged 18 to
44 years in the United States reported receiving infertility services
at some time in their lives, and 2 percent had an infertility-related
appointment in the past year. The most commonly reported service
received was advice from a medical professional (66.1 percent),
followed by infertility testing (21.2 percent). The remaining services
were: drugs to improve ovulation (7.0 percent), artificial insemination
(2.0 percent), surgery to correct blocked tubes (0.9 percent), and
other types of medical assistance (2.8 percent).
Non-Hispanic White women were most likely to
report ever using infertility services (10.7 percent), while non-Hispanic
Black women were least likely (4.7 percent). Non-Hispanic White
women were much more likely than women of other races to receive
advice regarding infertility, and only slightly more likely to receive
infertility testing or other services.
Of the approximately 5.1 million women who reported
ever seeking medical help to get pregnant, 11.1 percent were currently
pursuing medical help, and 75.8 percent had private insurance that
covered some portion of their infertility services. The average
age at first birth among women in the United States reached an all-time
national high of 25.1 years in 2002; this rate has risen steadily
over the past 3 decades from an average of 21.4 years in 1970.1
The delay in trying to conceive, coupled with the natural decline
in women’s fertility beginning in the late 20s or early 30s,
may help explain the significant number of women who seek help getting
pregnant.
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PIE CHART: Women Aged 18 to 44 Years Ever Receiving an
Infertility Service, by Type of Service, 2002
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STACKED VERTICAL BAR Chart: Women Aged 18 to 44 Years Ever
Receiving an Infertility Service, by Type of Service and Race/Ethnicity,
2002
1 National Vital Statistics Reports, Vol. 52,
No. 10; December 17, 2003.
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