Female infertility, active component service women, U.S. Armed Forces, 2013–2018

This report presents the incidence and prevalence of diagnosed female infertility among active component service women. During 2013–2018, 8,744 active component women of childbearing potential were diagnosed with infertility for the first time, resulting in an overall incidence of 79.3 cases per 10,000 person-years (p-yrs). Compared to their respective counter-parts, women in their 30s, non-Hispanic blacks, those in healthcare and pilot/air crew occupations, Army personnel, and those who were married had the highest incidence rates. The incidence of diagnosed female infertility decreased from 85.1 per 10,000 p-yrs in 2013 to 63.6 per 10,000 p-yrs in 2018 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 who were diagnosed with infertility for the first time during the surveillance period, 1,808 (20.7%) delivered a live birth within 2 years after the incident infertility diagnosis. Current findings indicate that the prevalence of diagnosed female infertility among active component service women is lower than estimates of self-reported infertility from surveys of U.S. civilians and service women.