What is infertility?
According to The Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada, on average, it takes a couple 5 or 6 months to become pregnant. However, about 1 in 6 Canadian couples experience infertility.
Health Canada defines infertility as:
- the inability to conceive after having regular unprotected sex, after one year for women who are under 35 years old and after 6 months for women over 35 years old
- the inability to contribute biologically to a conception or
- the inability to carry a pregnancy to a live birth
Causes of infertility
Infertility is both a male and a female concern. It can be the result of a female factor, a male factor, or a combination of both.
- 30% of the time, the cause is in men
- 40% of the time, the cause is in women
- 30% of the time, the cause is a mix of both male and female factors, or is unknown
Did you Know?
- 17% of Albertans struggle with infertility, in addition to the many others who require fertility treatments to build their families for other reasons.
- The average cost of IVF is $20,000 per cycle.
- Only 7 provinces currently provide access to government funding for fertility treatments, Alberta is not one of them.
- The majority of Alberta employers do not include fertility and family building in their employee health benefits.
Download our Fertility Facts document to learn more and educate others about access to fertility treatments in Alberta.