Infertility is defined as failure to conceive after at least how long of unprotected intercourse?

• A. 1 year
• B. 6 months
• C. 3 years
• D. 2 years

Answer: (A)

The main concept here is the standard clinical threshold used to label infertility. In general, infertility is defined as the failure to conceive after about one year of regular, unprotected intercourse. Most healthy couples conceive within 12 months, so not achieving pregnancy by that point prompts evaluation for possible causes and discussion of treatment options. There are exceptions: for women who are older (typically over 35) or who have known risk factors, clinicians often start evaluation earlier, around 6 months. But the classic definition used in many exams is one year.