A new study of more than 15,000 women and men in Britain discovered that one in eight women have experienced infertility, compared with one in 10 men.
However nearly half of them (42.7% and 46.8% respectively) didn't seek medical help for the issue.
Lead author Jessica Datta, from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, said she was "surprised" by the findings.
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IAN HOOTON/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY via Getty Images
For the study, which was published in the journal Human Reproduction, researchers analysed data from 15,162 women and men aged 16-74 who took part in Britain's National Survey of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles between 2010 and 2012.
They found that infertility affected women aged 35 to 45 the most as well as men aged between 35 and 55.
Infertility was most likely to be experienced by people who were married or living together at the time they were interviewed for the study.
This reflects the fact that those in stable relationships were more likely to attempt to have children and therefore become aware of fertility problems.
The study found that 42.7% of women and 46.8% of men didn't seek help for their infertility.
Those who did seek help were more likely to have a university degree or better paid jobs.
"One of the important and concerning findings in our study is the difference in educational attainment and job status between people who sought help for infertility and those who did not," said Datta, according to Medical Xpress.
"Studies of infertility have tended to recruit research participants from medical settings such as general practice, so our population-based survey sample provides a rare insight into those people who, despite having failed to get pregnant after a year of trying, did not seek help from health services.
"The existence of inequalities in access to healthcare is well established but this is one of few analyses to explore uptake of services for infertility."
Researchers believe some people might not seek help because they do not understand or acknowledge that a problem exists. Additionally they may fear being labelled 'infertile' and might also have worries over the cost of treatment to help them conceive.
The study also found that women aged 50 or below who had experienced infertility were more likely to suffer from depression or feel dissatisfaction with their sex life than those who had not.
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10 Things You May Not Know About Your Fertility
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1. Your fertility is mostly determined by genetics, which influences how many eggs you are born with. Doctors believe that the number of eggs you have at birth determines the length of time you will remain fertile. At birth, women have about two million eggs in their ovaries. For every egg ovulated during your reproductive life, about 1,000 eggs undergo programmed cell death. Other things, such as smoking cigarettes and certain types of chemotherapy, can accelerate egg cell death and promote an earlier menopause.
(02 of10)
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2. Regular menstrual cycles are a sign of regular ovulation.Most women have regular cycles lasting between 24 and 35 days. This is usually a sign of regular, predictable ovulation. Women who do not ovulate regularly have irregular menstrual cycles. Those who do not ovulate at all may have a genetic condition called polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS).
(03 of10)
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3. Basal temperature charting does not predict ovulation.An older method of tracking ovulation involves taking your oral body temperature each morning before getting out of bed. This is called basal body temperature. This method is used to spot a rise in basal temperature, which is a sign that progesterone is being produced. The main problem with using this method is that your temperature rises after ovulation has already occurred. This makes it more difficult to time intercourse at an optimal time for conception. A better method is to use over-the-counter urine ovulation predictor test kits such as Clearblue Easy. These kits test for the hormone that prompts ovulation, which is called luteinizing hormone (LH).
(04 of10)
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4. Most women with blocked fallopian tubes are completely unaware they may have had a prior pelvic infection.About 10 percent of infertility cases are due to tubal disease, either complete blockage or pelvic scarring causing tubal malfunction. One major cause of tubal disease is a prior pelvic infection from a sexually transmitted disease such as chlamydia. These infections can cause so few symptoms that you may be completely unaware your tubes are affected. This is why fertility physicians will order a dye test of the tubes, called a hysterosalpingogram (HSG), if you have been trying and failing to conceive for 6 months or longer.
(05 of10)
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5. In most cases, stress does not cause infertility. Except in rare cases of extreme physical or emotional distress, women will keep ovulating regularly. Conceiving while on vacation is likely less about relaxation than about coincidence and good timing of sex.
(06 of10)
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6. By age 44, most women are infertile, even if they are still ovulating regularly. Even with significant fertility treatment, rates of conception are very low after age 43. Most women who conceive in their mid-40s with fertility treatment are using donated eggs from younger women.
(07 of10)
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7. Having fathered a pregnancy in the past does not guarantee fertility. Sperm counts can change quite a bit with time, so never assume that a prior pregnancy guarantees fertile sperm. Obtaining a semen analysis is the only way to be sure the sperm are still healthy!
(08 of10)
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8. For the most part, diet has little or nothing to do with fertility. Despite popular press, there is little scientific data showing that a particular diet or food promotes fertility. One limited study did suggest a Mediterranean diet with olive oil, fish and legumes may help promote fertility.
(09 of10)
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9. Vitamin D may improve results of fertility treatments. A recent study from the University of Southern California suggested that women who were undergoing fertility treatments, but had low vitamin D levels, might have lower rates of conception. This vitamin is also essential during pregnancy. At Pacific Fertility Center, we recommend our patients take 2,000-4,000 IU per day.
(10 of10)
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10. Being either underweight or overweight is clearly linked with lowered levels of fertility. The evidence in recent years is that obesity is clearly linked with a longer time to conception. Having a body mass index less than 18 or over 32 is associated with problems ovulating and conceiving, as well as problems during pregnancy.
"Previous research has found associations between undergoing treatment for infertility and sexual dissatisfaction," said Datta.
"In our study, symptoms of depression occurred in the two weeks before interview and sexual dissatisfaction in the year before interview but, as we don't know when the period of infertility occurred, we cannot make assumptions about causality and are in favour of further investigation into the long term impact of infertility on women's wellbeing."
Professor Geeta Nargund, medical director at CREATE Fertility, said: "This study emphasises the need for raising awareness about factors affecting female and male fertility from an early stage.
"It is well known that female fertility declines sharply after the age of 35. Age combined with lifestyle factors such as smoking, body weight, stress and medical and family history can also contribute to delay in conception.
"It is therefore important that women and men try to improve their fertility at all times."
She said there are free fertility open days held in some fertility units which help to educate couples about infertility and treatment options.
"I urge women and men to seek early help if they are having fertility problems in order to reduce the physical and emotional burden and cost of treatment," she continued.
"As a nation, we need to introduce a National Tariff for IVF on the NHS to achieve equal and fair access to treatment."