title: Prevalence of infertility in the United States as estimated by the current duration approach and a traditional constructed approach.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To estimate the prevalence of infertility using a current duration approach for comparison with a traditional constructed measure.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional survey.
  
  
  METHODS
  Not applicable.
  
  
  METHODS
  A nationally representative sample of females aged 15-44 years.
  
  
  METHODS
  None.
  
  
  METHODS
  Infertility prevalence estimated by two approaches: [1] a constructed measure derived from questions on sexual activity, contraception, relationship status, and pregnancy, and [2] a measure based on estimated time to pregnancy derived from the respondents' current duration of pregnancy attempt (i.e., current duration approach). Associations with self-reported descriptive characteristics using weighted logistic regression or parametric survival models for each respective approach.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Infertility prevalence was approximately twofold higher using the current duration approach (15.5%; 95% confidence interval 8.6%-27.5%) vs. the constructed measure (7.0%; 95% confidence interval 6.2%-7.8%). Both methods identified similar patterns of increasing age, lower education, nulliparity, and history of gynecologic disorders as being associated with measures of impaired fecundity, whereas opposing patterns were seen for racial/ethnic identification and poverty status.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Infertility prevalence based on a current duration approach was consistent with other US prospective cohort studies with preconception enrollment. These findings underscore the importance of definition and methodologic approach for estimating the prevalence of infertility.
authors.affiliation: Division of Epidemiology, Statistics, and Prevention Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD 20852, USA. methoma2000@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Marie E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Thoma
authors.forename: Alexander C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: McLain
authors.forename: Jean Fredo
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Louis
authors.forename: Rosalind B
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: King
authors.forename: Ann C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Trumble
authors.forename: Rajeshwari
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sundaram
authors.forename: Germaine M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Buck Louis
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005298:Fertility; D005831:Genital Diseases, Female / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007247:Infertility, Female / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016015:Logistic Models; D011247:Pregnancy; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult