{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,22]],"date-time":"2026-07-22T05:50:29Z","timestamp":1784699429313,"version":"3.55.0"},"reference-count":22,"publisher":"Public Library of Science (PLoS)","issue":"7","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2024,7,18]],"date-time":"2024-07-18T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1721260800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/100020595","name":"National Science and Technology Council","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","id":[{"id":"10.13039\/100020595","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":["www.plosone.org"],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["PLoS ONE"],"abstract":"<jats:sec id=\"sec001\">\n<jats:title>Background<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>In Taiwan there has been limited research of epidemiological surveys on prevalence of infertility. This study aimed to provide the updated prevalence of primary infertility and of help-seeking among residents in Taiwan.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>\n<jats:sec id=\"sec002\">\n<jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>Between February and March 2023, we conducted a cross-sectional population-based telephone survey of 1,297 men and women aged 20\u201349 years who were residing in Taiwan. We used computer-assisted telephone interviewing techniques to collect data regarding sociodemographic and reproductive characteristics. Using two approaches to defining infertility, we estimated the prevalence of infertility and the prevalence of help-seeking behaviors. Our analyses accounted for survey weighting.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>\n<jats:sec id=\"sec003\">\n<jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>The response rate was 27.9%. Among 1,297 respondents, 829 (63.9%) were married or cohabiting, including 404 men and 425 women. The prevalence of primary infertility using definition 1 was 5.6% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 4.2% - 7.4%); the prevalence of primary infertility using definition 2 was 6.7% (5.1% - 8.6%). Regarding professional help-seeking, 11.1% (9.2%-13.5%) had ever consulted a doctor about getting pregnant; 9.9% (8.1%-12.2%) had ever received diagnostic tests\/treatment to help with conceiving; 2.6% (1.6% - 4.0%) were currently receiving diagnostic tests\/treatment to help with conceiving.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>\n<jats:sec id=\"sec004\">\n<jats:title>Conclusion<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>Our nationwide survey of the prevalence of primary infertility in Taiwan suggests that the prevalence was not as high as what is often seen in the news reports (about 14%). These findings also suggest there may be a gap between those who are currently experiencing infertility and those who are currently being treated; hence, we call for raising awareness of infertility and improving access to infertility healthcare.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0306572","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2024,7,18]],"date-time":"2024-07-18T17:52:36Z","timestamp":1721325156000},"page":"e0306572","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.corrections_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":6,"title":["Prevalence and help-seeking for infertility in a population with a low fertility rate"],"prefix":"10.1371","volume":"19","author":[{"given":"Mei-Chuan","family":"Lee","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Pei-Shan","family":"Chien","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Yue","family":"Zhou","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-5773-3665","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Tsung","family":"Yu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"340","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2024,7,18]]},"reference":[{"key":"pone.0306572.ref001","author":"World Health Organization","journal-title":"Infertility Prevalence Estimates"},{"key":"pone.0306572.ref002","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1679","DOI":"10.1016\/S0277-9536(97)00102-0","article-title":"Infertility and psychological distress: a critical review of the literature.","volume":"45","author":"AL Greil","year":"1997","journal-title":"Soc Sci Med"},{"key":"pone.0306572.ref003","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"140","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1467-9566.2009.01213.x","article-title":"The experience of infertility: a review of recent literature.","volume":"32","author":"AL Greil","year":"2010","journal-title":"Sociol Health Illn"},{"key":"pone.0306572.ref004","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"hoad007","DOI":"10.1093\/hropen\/hoad007","article-title":"Financial costs of assisted reproductive technology for patients in low- and middle-income countries: a systematic review","volume":"2023","author":"P Njagi","year":"2023","journal-title":"Hum Reprod Open"},{"key":"pone.0306572.ref005","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e027755","DOI":"10.1161\/JAHA.122.027755","article-title":"Infertility and Risk of Cardiovascular Disease: A Prospective Cohort Study.","volume":"12","author":"LV Farland","year":"2023","journal-title":"J Am Heart Assoc"},{"key":"pone.0306572.ref006","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"537","DOI":"10.1016\/j.fertnstert.2022.05.038","article-title":"Risk of cardiovascular disease in women and men with subfertility: the Trondelag Health Study","volume":"118","author":"KH Skara","year":"2022","journal-title":"Fertil Steril"},{"key":"pone.0306572.ref007","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"6","DOI":"10.1016\/j.fertnstert.2017.11.005","article-title":"Male infertility: a biomarker of individual and familial cancer risk","volume":"109","author":"BM Hanson","year":"2018","journal-title":"Fertil Steril"},{"key":"pone.0306572.ref008","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"499","DOI":"10.1007\/s10654-018-0474-9","article-title":"The risk of breast and gynecological cancer in women with a diagnosis of infertility: a nationwide population-based study","volume":"34","author":"FE Lundberg","year":"2019","journal-title":"Eur J Epidemiol"},{"key":"pone.0306572.ref009","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"894","DOI":"10.1093\/humrep\/dez018","article-title":"Risk of cancer in infertile women: analysis of US claims data","volume":"34","author":"G Murugappan","year":"2019","journal-title":"Hum Reprod"},{"key":"pone.0306572.ref010","unstructured":"National Development Council in Taiwan. 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