title: Assessing female fertility.
abstract: A concern exists that infertility is on the rise among American couples. While secular trends do not support this, there is reason to believe that deferral of child bearing is associated with a delay in conception. This paper reviews the data on factors that interfere with fertility and fecundity, such as maternal age and occupational exposures. Also discussed are epidemiological tools and strategies for evaluating the various components of female fertility and for identifying adverse influences.
authors.affiliation: Division of Epidemiology, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032.
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Hatch
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D005306:Fertilization; D006801:Humans; D007247:Infertility, Female / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D008423:Maternal Age; D008599:Menstruation Disturbances / Q000150:complications; D016273:Occupational Exposure; D013997:Time Factors