Prevalence of Infertility, Associated Factors, and Treatment Seeking Among Reproductive Age Couples in Merhabete Woreda, Northshewa Ethiopia, 2023: A Cross‐Sectional Study

Background and Aims: Infertility is a significant public health problem that affects approximately 10%-15% of couples worldwide. Although it affects men and women equally, women often bear disproportionate social blame, which may result in reduced social status. In many settings, infertility is considered a socially acceptable reason for divorce in many settings. However, its prevalence varies considerably across countries and communities and is influenced by multiple demographic, behavioral, and medical factors. Despite its adverse consequences and the availability of medical treatments, community-based evidence remains limited. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the prevalence of infertility, associated factors, and treatment-seeking behavior among couples of reproductive age in Merhabete Woreda, North Shewa, Ethiopia, 2023. Methods: -value < 0.05 were considered significant. Model fit was evaluated using the Hosmer-Lemeshow test. Results: The prevalence of infertility was 23.4% (95% CI: 20.4-26.5), and 53.5% of infertile couples never sought medical help. Females aged 40-49 years (AOR: 7.3, 95% CI: 2.97-17.9), with no formal education (AOR: 3.92, 95% CI: 1.88-12.89), couples with a history of sexually transmitted infections (AOR: 3.82, 95% CI: 2.18-9.78), high stress (AOR: 3.97, 95% CI: 3.44-15.38), overweight (AOR: 2.73, 95% CI: 1.14-6.52), and obese (AOR: 3.12, 95% CI: 1.77-8.2) were significantly associated with infertility. Conclusions and Recommendations: The prevalence of infertility in this community exceeded global estimates, and more than half of the affected couples did not seek medical care. Integrating infertility screening into primary healthcare services, strengthening sexually transmitted infection (STI) prevention, promoting stress reduction and weight management, and enhancing community awareness may improve fertility outcomes and healthcare-seeking behavior.