Young couples who fear they are infertile may just need more time rather than costly treatments, new research shows.
A University of Otago study found almost 62 per cent of the 1386 couples gave birth to a child in the 13 years of the study and just under half of those fell pregnant naturally.
Difficulty conceiving is a common problem, with up to one in every four couples taking longer than 12 months or needing medical help.
Lead author Dr Antoinette Righarts, of the Department of Women's and Children's Health at the Dunedin School of Medicine, said the study was unique because it followed all the women assessed at the Otago Fertility Service between 1998 and 2005 rather than just those having a treatment.
"We found that 62 per cent of couples were able to have at least one child, but it could take time - 50 per cent of first live-births occurred more than two years after first clinical assessment. Also, we found many couples did not need treatment," she said.