The classic definition of infertility is the inability for a couple to conceive a child despite frequent and regular sexual intercourse for one year (about 3 times a week) without using contraception.

It is important to remember that in the absence of infertility, a normally fertile young couple has only around 25% chance of conceiving per cycle.

Infertility is widespread, usually affecting about 1 in 5 couples (20 %), according to figures from the WHO. The situation is more or less the same in all industrialised countries.

According to French INSERM researchers, this has become a significant health problem, as they found that the percentage of couples without a pregnancy after a year without contraception varies between 18% and 24%.

It would be useful to set up tools such as a "fertility monitoring system" to measure changes in fertility, with the possibility to forecast changes in demand for IVF.

There are many causes of infertility. Some causes concern the male, others the female, and some both, and in recent years there has also been a particularly significant increase in environmental or lifestyle-related causes.

It is estimated that 30% of the causes concern the male, 30% the female, 30% mixed and 10% remains unexplained.

Interestingly, it has been reported that the infertility rate varies according to the countries, especially depending on certain environmental contamination.