Fertility Fact: 1 in 10 couples experiencing infertility will be diagnosed with unexplained infertility.
What is Unexplained Infertility?
When a patient first visits a fertility center, they will have to go through basic fertility testing to deduce the cause of their infertility. The initial fertility workup at Shady Grove Fertility for the female partner is designed to check the health of the ovaries, and see if the fallopian tubes and uterus are normal. For the male partner, the semen analysis will show if the sperm are normal in number and function. If all the tests come back inconclusive, a diagnosis of unexplained infertility is made. This diagnosis often comes with a mixed bag of emotions because while the specific cause of infertility hasn’t been identified, the fact remains that you are having trouble conceiving. This leaves patients wondering, so what’s next?
Treating Unexplained Infertility
Most often, because tests did not come back with many clues, patients will start with low-tech treatment options, such as a combination of ovulation inducing medication and intrauterine insemination (IUI). Depending on how the patient responds to that treatment and other factors, such as age, they may continue with an IUI treatment plan or move on to in vitro fertilization (IVF), which typically yields higher pregnancy rates. Rockville physician, Dr. Joseph Doyle shares that, “The goal of low-tech treatment options in couples with unexplained infertility is to boost their pregnancy rates back to normal levels. Fortunately, if this approach isn’t successful, IVF is very effective, with pregnancy rates up to 50%.”
If you have questions regarding unexplained infertility or would like to schedule a consultation with a Shady Grove Fertility physician, please call 1-877-971-7755 or click here.
