Abstract
BACKGROUND: Updated knowledge on the prevalence of infertility is essential for designing effective preventive measures. This study aims to estimate the period prevalence of 12 and 24-month primary and secondary infertility and explore their geographic distribution in Iran. METHODS: This is a nationwide cross-sectional population-based survey conducted in Iran. The study included more than 30,000 married women aged between 15 and 49, recruited using a multi-stage sampling method. The data were collected through face-to-face interviews conducted in 2019, from November to December. Self-reported information on socio-demographic data, pregnancy history, and time to pregnancy was collected. The retrospective time-to-pregnancy approach was employed to estimate the period prevalence of 12 months, following the clinical definition (6 months for women aged 35 and older), and 24 months, according to the epidemiologic definition of primary and secondary infertility. Multiple logistic regression applied to identify the predictors of the infertility. RESULTS: The prevalence of 12-month primary infertility was 11.8 (95% CI: 10.9, 12.8), and for 24-month primary infertility, it was 6.9 (95% CI: 6.4, 7.3). Additionally, the prevalence of 12-month secondary infertility was 15.7 (95% CI: 13.6, 18.0), and for 24-month secondary infertility, it was 9.0 (95% CI: 7.5, 10.8). CONCLUSIONS: In this study, the 12 and 24-month prevalence of primary infertility and secondary infertility has been estimated for Iran, and the provinces have been categorized as low, middle, middle-up, and high according to the estimated prevalence. These measures are crucial for health managers to tailor interventions and allocate health resources based on the actual needs of the population, enabling more effective planning in each province.