Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2025 May 1;32(5):19-25.

Infertility among active component service women, U.S. Armed Forces, 2019-2023

Armed Forces Health Surveillance Division  1
Affiliations

Infertility among active component service women, U.S. Armed Forces, 2019-2023

Armed Forces Health Surveillance Division. MSMR. .

Abstract

This report presents the incidence and prevalence of diagnosed female infertility among active component U.S. service women. During 2019-2023, 8,154 active component women of childbearing potential were diagnosed with incident infertility, resulting in an overall incidence of 77.5 cases per 10,000 person-years (p-yrs). Incidence rates were highest among women in their 30s, non-Hispanic Black individuals, those in health care and pilot or air crew occupations, Army soldiers, and those who were married. From 2019 through 2023, the incidence rate of diagnosed female infertility decreased from 89.2 per 10,000 p-yrs to 69.5 per 10,000 p-yrs despite a concurrent increase in the rate of fertility testing. During the surveillance period, the average annual prevalence of diagnosed female infertility was 1.6%. Of the service women diagnosed with infertility for the first time during the surveillance period, 2,005 (24.6%) delivered live births within 2 years following their incident infertility diagnoses. The incidence rate of diagnosed infertility among service women decreased by 22.1% during the surveillance period, coincident with an increase of 74.0% in the rate of fertility testing from 2019 through 2023.

Keywords: United States; armed forces; diagnosed; female; infertility; military; women.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

FIGURE 1.
FIGURE 1.
Annual Incidence Rates of Female Infertility Diagnoses, Active Component Service Women of Childbearing Potential, 2019–2023
FIGURE 2.
FIGURE 2.
Annual Incidence Rates of Female Infertility Diagnoses by Age Group, Active Component Service Women of Childbearing Potential, 2019–2023
FIGURE 3.
FIGURE 3.
Incidence Rates of Female Infertility Diagnoses by Type and Age Group, Active Component Service Women of Childbearing Potential, 2019–2023
FIGURE 4.
FIGURE 4.
Incidence of Infertility by Type and Race and Ethnicity, Active Component Service Women of Childbearing Potential, U.S. Armed Forces, 2019–2023
FIGURE 5.
FIGURE 5.
Prevalence of Infertility by Type, Active Component Service Women of Childbearing Potential, U.S. Armed Forces, 2019–2023
FIGURE 6.
FIGURE 6.
Numbers of Medical Encounters for Infertility and Numbers of Individuals Affected, Active Component Service Women, 2019–2023
FIGURE 7.
FIGURE 7.
Annual Rates of Fertility Testing, Active Component Service Women of Childbearing Potential, U.S. Armed Forces, 2019–2023
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

References

    1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention . Reproductive Health. Infertility FAQs. U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services . Accessed Mar. 11, 2025 . https://www.cdc.gov/reproductive-health/infertility-faq/index.html
    1. Armed Forces Health Surveillance Division . Case Definition for Female Infertility. Defense Health Agency, U.S. Dept. of Defense . Accessed Apr. 22, 2025 . https://health.mil/reference-center/publications/2018/09/01/female-infer...
    1. Hamilton-Fairley D , Taylor A . Anovulation . BMJ . 2003. ; 327 ( 7414 ): 546 - 549 . doi: 10.1136/bmj.327.7414.546 - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Sirmans SM , Pate KA . Epidemiology, diagnosis, and management of polycystic ovary syndrome . Clin Epidemiol . 2013. ; 6 : 1 - 13 . doi: 10.2147/clep.s37559 - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Office on Women's Health . Infertility. U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services . Updated Feb. 22, 2021 . Accessed Mar. 11, 2025 . https://women-shealth.gov/a-z-topics/infertility