One in six couples of childbearing age has difficulty conceiving or carrying a pregnancy to term.
In addition to the medical aspects of infertility, psychological and financial stresses also complicate a diagnosis of infertility. At Fertility Answers, the medical team plays an active role in the treatment of each patient and in determining infertility causes. We work together with the patient and partner to develop a comprehensive treatment plan. The goal is to solve the problem as quickly, safely and inexpensively as possible.
Infertility can affect both men and women. Generally, infertility is defined as the inability to conceive after one year of trying with unprotected intercourse for couples in which the female is under 35. This is reduced to six months of trying to conceive for couples in which the female is over 35. This is because age plays a much more significant role in the female partner than the male.
Infertility causes can often be attributed to both partners.
Approximately one in six couples are affected by infertility. There are a number of factors, both male and female, that can cause getting pregnant to be difficult. In fact, in nearly 30% of cases the cause is attributed to the female, in 30% the cause is attributed to the male, in 30% the infertility cause is attributed to both partners and in 10% of cases the cause is unknown.
Female infertility causes can include many different factors. Age is often a leading factor as egg quality and quantity are drastically reduced as a woman nears menopausal age. Other infertility issues in women are hormonally related or structurally related. In men, fertility causes are almost always related to sperm.
Once the cause of infertility has been determined, a plan can be customized for the patient to fit their unique situation. In fact, nearly 90% of infertility cases are treatable with medical therapies such as drug treatment or surgical repair of reproductive organs. In other cases, assisted reproductive techniques, such as in vitro fertilization IVF or intrauterine insemination IUI, may be necessary.
- Infertility: An Overview (ASRM Fact Sheet)
- How Doctors Evaluate Infertility in Women (ASRM Fact Sheet)
