Fifty years ago, infertility was a nonissue, as the topic was not discussed socially and little was known about it scientifically. Now, however, there are countless media reports, more infertile women in the population, and a larger proportion of infertile couples seeking treatment in a fertility industry that is estimated at $3 billion annually. Although infertility is now an issue, it does not come without controversy. The first segment explains how infertility is differently defined, some major causes of infertility, women's personal responses to infertility, and the available medical treatments and their success rates. The next section discusses bioevolutionary and social/cultural theories of motherhood as they pertain to infertility, and ends with some larger societal implications of fertility treatments for motherhood.

In the United States, rates ...