Infertility is clinically defined as a situation where a couple is unable to conceive a child after attempting to do so for at least one full year. Primary infertility refers to a situation in which pregnancy has never been achieved. Secondary infertility refers to a situation in which one or both members of the couple have previously conceived a child, but are unable to conceive again after a full year of trying.

Currently, in the United States, about 20% of couples struggle with infertility at any given time. Infertility has increased as a problem, as demonstrated by a study comparing fertility rates in married women ages 20-24 between the years of 1965 and 1982. In that time period, infertility increased 177%. Some studies attribute this increase on primarily social phenomena, including the tendency for marriage to occur at a later age, and the associated tendency for attempts at first pregnancy...