FEMALE INFERTILITY

•Today, infertility is no longer recognized as only a female problem. In fact, the term infertility is a broad term, often loosely used. It actually refers to a range of disorders some of which affect the male, and some the female, and contribute to childlessness in a couple. A large study conducted by the WHO in 25 countries, with over 5800 couples, found that over 85 per cent of the infertility among African women was attributable to infection, compared to only 33 per cent in women worldwide ( W.Cates, 1985)

•Among Indian women reporting primary infertility and PID, STI prevalence was high. The WHO estimates the overall prevalence of primary infertility in India to be between 3.9 and 16.8 per cent1. Estimates of infertility vary widely among Indians, 3.7 per cent in Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh and Maharashtra11, to 5 per cent in Andhra Pradesh12, and 15 per cent in Kashmir13. Moreover, the prevalence of primary infertility has also been shown to vary across tribes and castes within the same region in India (AH Zargar et al.,1997).