The approval in the US of the birth control pill in 1960 revolutionized women's lives. It provided a reliable way for women to control their fertility so that they could plan a family more easily and build their careers before having children.

Since the introduction of the pill, the emphasis has been more on knowledge of contraception and less on knowledge of issues surrounding fertility. Many women are shocked when they learn in later years that their fertility started to measurably decline in their late twenties.

According to Pam Madsen of the American Infertility Association, "Women are angry that we, the medical community and the media, are not teaching them about the natural decline in fertility." Dr. Richard Scott of Reproductive Medicine Associates in Morristown, New Jersey, adds, "Women are deciding to have children in their late thirties and early forties, and are upset that no one told them that their fertility may have begun declining..." long before.

To measure your fertility knowledge, review your survey answers with the correct answers below, provided by Dr. Scott:

1. What proportion of American couples experience infertility?
A. 1 in 10 couples experience infertility at some point during their lifetimes.

2. At what age does a woman's fertility start to measurably decline?
A. Many women incorrectly assume that the answer to this question is the late thirties or early forties. However, a woman's fertility begins to decline in her late twenties. This means that the average number of cycles it takes to conceive will measurably increase after the age of 27. Of course, all women are different and some will still conceive quite easily at an older age while others will face difficulties with infertility.