Fewer women seek help for infertility, data show

• The most commonly used infertility services were the least costly%3A advice and testing
• Use of medical help to get pregnant was higher among older women surveyed in all years %2840-44%29
• Cost could be barrier to women not investigating options

Increased awareness about the options hasn't resulted in increased use of infertility services, according to new federal data. Instead, the numbers show declines for those seeking medical help to get pregnant or to prevent miscarriage.

"There's always been this perception these things are on the rise when the data have never supported that," says Anjani Chandra, lead author of the report, out Wednesday from the National Center for Health Statistics.

Findings are based on a survey of 22,682 men and women, ages 15-44, conducted from 2006 to 2010, but much of the focus is on ages 25-44, because that's when the report says "infertility service use may be more prevalent."

In that age group, 17% of women had ever used any infertility service, which the report says is "a significant decrease from 20% in 1995." Among childless women of those ages who have current fertility problems, the drop from 56% in 1982 to 38% most recently is "significantly less" than in 1982.

Kurt Barnhart, president of the Society for Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, says the report confirms what he already knows.

"Fertility services are underutilized and not reaching everybody," says Barnhart, an OB-GYN at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia.

Still, findings show that women ages 25-44 with current fertility problems were "five times more likely to have ever used any infertility services and six times more likely to have used medical help to get pregnant" than those without current problems.

Among the findings for that group: (ages 25-44 with current fertility problems):

-- 36% reported using any medical help to get pregnant.

-- The most common services were advice (29%), infertility testing (27%) and ovulation drugs (20%).

-- Artificial insemination was used by 7.4%; 3.1% had ever used ART (which includes in vitro fertilization, also known as IVF).

The survey found that in all years of the survey, "ever-use" of medical help to get pregnant was highest among older and childless women, non-Hispanic white women, women with current fertility problems and women with higher levels of education and household income.

Still, high costs for some procedures (that can reach thousands of dollars) as well as the fact that not all procedures are covered by insurance means that some may not take that first step, Barnhart says.

"Not everyone needs expensive or high-tech treatment," he says. "Maybe simple treatments and advice is all they need. When people don't come in to get the consult, they don't know if simple solutions would have helped them."

Barnhart suggests one reason for the declines could be that the survey was conducted largely during tough economic times.

Also, Barbara Collura, president & CEO of the non-profit RESOLVE: The National Infertility Association, based in McLean, Va., says some women don't want to face reality.

"There is this false sense of security that says 'because I'm more aware of this and hear of women having kids later in life, I'll be fine,' " Collura says. "You get a lot of women who say 'I thought this would be easy.' "