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This would vary depending on individual circumstances. Generally if a couple has been trying to conceive for more than a year it is likely that there is a problem contributing to their difficulties, nevertheless, 50% of couples who haven’t conceived after one year will conceive if they wait another year. It is for this reason, that the UK’s National Institute for clinical excellence (NICE) recommends waiting 2 years before undergoing treatment for fertility problems.

About 1 in 6 couples will seek help for fertility problems (Hull 1985), however it is also known that 1 in 4 couples will experience problems getting pregnant making infertility the most common gynaecological symptom in women of child bearing age.

To improve fertility, sexual intercourse is best timed when the cervical mucus is at it’s most receptive to sperm. This is usually 1-3 days before ovulation actually occurs.

Conception or pregnancy occurs when the sperm fertilizes the egg i.e. The sperm enters the egg and fuses with it to form an embryo in the Fallopian tube. This embryo travels down the tube to implant in the womb, finally growing into a baby.

When a female is in her mother’s womb she has about 7 million eggs during the fifth month of pregnancy. However a significant reduction in this number takes place resulting in only 2 million eggs left in the ovaries at birth.

An interesting article by the Guardian regarding female embryos.

In interesting article by the Guardian discussing pesticide residue on food and its affect on sperm quality.

An interesting article by Live Science.

An interesting article by the BBC regarding IVF treatment.