Female infertility, active component service women, U.S. Armed Forces, 2013-2018

This report presents the incidence and prevalence of diagnosed female infertility among active component service women. During 2013-2018, 8,744 active component women of childbearing potential were diagnosed with infertility for the first time, resulting in an overall incidence of 79.3 cases per 10,000 person-years (p-yrs). Compared to their respective counterparts, women in their 30s, non-Hispanic blacks, those in healthcare and pilot/air crew occupations, Army personnel, and those who were married had the highest incidence rates. The incidence of diagnosed female infertility decreased from 85.1 per 10,000 p-yrs in 2013 to 63.6 per 10,000 p-yrs in 2018 despite a concurrent increase in the rate of fertility testing. During the surveillance period, the average annual prevalence of diagnosed female infertility was 1.6%. Of the service women who were diagnosed with infertility for the first time during the surveillance period, 1,808 (20.7%) delivered a live birth within 2 years after the incident infertility diagnosis. Current findings indicate that the prevalence of diagnosed female infertility among active component service women is lower than estimates of self-reported infertility from surveys of U.S. civilians and service women.