Infertility is defined as the inability to get pregnant after how long of trying with unprotected sex?

• A. Inability to get pregnant after six months of unprotected sex
• B. Inability to get pregnant after one year of unprotected sex
• C. Inability to get pregnant after two years of unprotected sex
• D. Inability to carry a pregnancy to term

Answer: (B)

Infertility is defined by the time it takes to conceive with regular, unprotected intercourse. For most people under 35, the standard threshold is 12 months. If you’ve tried for a full year without conceiving, a medical evaluation for infertility is usually recommended because many couples will conceive within that time, and delaying evaluation can miss treatable issues. For women 35 and older, evaluation might begin after about 6 months due to age-related fertility decline.

The other options don’t match this definition: six months is generally too short as a universal cutoff (though it may prompt earlier assessment in higher-risk ages), two years is longer than the typical threshold and would delay care, and inability to carry a pregnancy to term refers to gestational outcomes rather than the ability to conceive in the first place.