Infertility

Infertility can be physically and emotionally devastating, especially if the appropriate treatments are not received early in therapy. It is critical that an evaluation be performed by a specialist as soon as possible. Many complex factors influence a couple's ability to have children and fertility can decline rapidly as the female ages. It is also important to devote personal, financial, and insurance resources to the procedures most likely to result in a healthy baby.

Infertility is experienced by approximately 11% of couples at some time during their reproductive lives and this percentage increases as the female approaches her mid thirties. The chance of conceiving in couples with normal fertility is 25% per month and most will become pregnant within one year.

Infertility is defined as the inability to conceive after one year of unprotected intercourse in females less than thirty-five years of age. The time frame for women over thirty five is reduced to six months reflecting the need for rapid evaluation and treatment. Treatments and outcomes vary dependent upon the cause(s) of the couples' infertility, the female's age, the male's sperm quality and many other factors.

Infertility is characterized as primary or secondary. Primary means that a child has never been carried to term and secondary is the inability to produce subsequent children after a successful pregnancy.

The good news is that approximately 80% of all couples seeking fertility treatment will achieve pregnancy with appropriate therapy. Percentages for individual couples vary dependent upon the causes of subfertility and other factors. Many studies demonstrate that early treatment by a reproductive endocrinologist increases the chance of conception.

Some medical conditions require immediate consultation with a reproductive endocrinologist. These include tubal disease, severe endometriosis, significant reduction in ovarian function, deformities such as polyps or fibroids in the uterus, advanced age, a history of pelvic inflammatory disease, hormonal abnormalities, or serious sperm deficiencies.

Specific treatments are selected based on the individual couple's needs and not everyone requires advanced assisted reproductive technologies. We always choose the treatment most likely to result in pregnancy while considering each couple's individual needs.