Infertility in a rural area of Jiangsu Province : an epidemiological survey

Using a random stratified multistage and probability sampling procedure the rate of infertility in the rural area of Jiangsu Province was determined through interviews with 2578 married women of reproductive age. The overall infertility rate was 5.0%. A significantly higher rate was found for couples in which the husbands were engaged in cotton farming. The study also confirmed that there was a higher infertility rate among smokers as was found in other studies. The infertility rate was much higher in the Northern Jiangsu District than in the Southern District suggesting a relationship between infertility and economic/educational conditions. (authors)