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Overview - Fertility problems

Fertility problems usually means you are having difficulties getting pregnant. It is sometimes called infertility.

About 1 in 6 heterosexual couples have fertility problems.

Infertility does not mean you cannot have a baby. It may mean you need help to get pregnant.

Getting help with fertility

You can talk to your GP or a fertility specialist if you:

  • are struggling to get pregnant
  • need to use donor eggs or sperm
  • are in a same-sex couple
  • are single
  • are trans or non-binary

When to go to your GP about fertility problems

Types of infertility

There are 2 types of infertility.

They are:

  • primary infertility - if you never had a pregnancy and you're struggling to get pregnant
  • secondary infertility - if you had 1 or more pregnancies or miscarriages in the past but you're now struggling to get pregnant

Many things can affect your fertility, including age and health conditions.

Causes of fertility problems

Page last reviewed: 04/08/2026
Next review due: 04/08/2029