One in three who tried to have a child faced a problem

Have you ever wondered how often people around you face the fact that pregnancy doesn't happen? It seems rare — but only until you start planning yourself. A large online survey in Poland showed: among those who tried to conceive a child, almost one in three — 28.9% — reported fertility problems.

Women talk about it twice as often

Researchers collected responses from 8,000 adult Poles as part of a nationwide online fertility test in 2024. For the analysis, only those who had actually tried to conceive a child were included — there were 5,532 such people, of whom 3,316 were women and 2,216 were men.

The results differed almost dramatically by sex: 36.6% of women reported fertility problems versus 17.4% of men. The difference is twofold — and this does not mean that men are fine. Perhaps women simply undergo examinations more often, seek causes more frequently, and are better informed about their condition. In men, diagnosis usually begins later, and sometimes does not begin at all.

In women — tubes and hormones, in men — a history of infections

Among women, the strongest association with conception problems was found with fallopian tube obstruction (23 times higher odds), polycystic ovary syndrome (5 times), and endometriosis (almost 3 times). Thyroid diseases are also on the list.

Interestingly, two factors, on the contrary, reduced the likelihood of reporting fertility complaints: a previous pregnancy and good subjective mental health. Women who rated their emotional state as strong reported current conception problems less often.

In men, the picture is different. Here, varicocele or epididymal cysts (3 times higher odds) and a history of sexually transmitted infection (4.6 times higher odds) stood out. This is not a sentence and not a direct cause-and-effect relationship, but a reason to pay closer attention to one's past medical history.

Why supplements and 'correct positions' are not what they seem

There is also an amusing point in the study that is easy to misunderstand. In both men and women, taking reproductive supplements and special conception strategies were associated with higher odds of reporting problems. Does it sound like 'supplements are harmful'? Not at all.

The authors explain this by reverse causality: people simply start taking supplements and trying various methods when they already suspect a problem and are actively seeking help. That is, it is a marker that a person is already sounding the alarm, not the cause of difficulties.

What this means for you

This study is not a census of all infertile couples in the country. The scientists honestly warn: the sample was self-selected through an online test, so mainly those who are currently trying to conceive or have already encountered difficulties took part. Thus, 28.9% is not an indicator for the whole country, but rather a snapshot of the anxieties and experiences of active planners.

But the conclusion is still important. Fertility problems are not rare and not shameful. If you are planning a pregnancy and something is not working, it makes sense not to guess and not to take supplements at random, but to see a doctor together. For the woman — to check tubes, hormones, thyroid. For the man — not to dismiss examination: varicocele and past infections are on the list of factors for a reason. And another thing: mental health is not a 'nice bonus' but a real part of reproductive well-being.