Seeking medical help for subfecundity: A study based upon surveys in five European countries

Objective: To study care-seeking behavior for infertility treatment in different European countries. Design: Multicenter surveys of randomly selected women in the child bearing age. Setting: Five countries participated in the study: Denmark, Germany, Italy, Poland, and Spain. Data were collected from 1991 to 1993 as part of a concerted action. Patients: Population-based samples of women 25 to 44 years of age. The sample sizes ranged from 442 women in Poland to 2,729 in Italy. Participation rates ranged from 54% in Germany to 87% in Denmark. Data were collected by means of a highly structured questionnaire used at a face-to-face interview. Main Outcome Measures: Waiting time to pregnancy, time, and type of treatment for infertility. Results: Less than half of the infertile couples seek medical help in most European countries. The lowest proportion seeking help was found in Poland and the highest in Denmark. Conclusion: The increasing demand for infertility treatment is expected to continue, because the potential unmet need is outspoken in most European countries.