New Delhi, July 3 -- For decades, the script around infertility in India followed a predictable pattern. That script is now being rewritten not just by changing attitudes, but by data. Male factors are responsible for an estimated 40 to 50 per cent of infertility cases in the country. In another 20 per cent of couples, both partners contribute. In roughly 7 out of 10 couples facing difficulty, the male partner plays a role, as per the Journal of Human Reproductive Sciences.

The national fertility rate is around 2.1 children per woman, at the replacement level, but in several states it is well below that. About 15 to 20 per cent of Indian couples, roughly 27.5 million people, face infertility, with the highest rates in urban centres, acco...