Evaluation for Unexplained Infertility

Infertility is generally defined as the inability of a couple of reproductive age to conceive despite having sexual intercourse regularly without using contraception (unprotected) for a year or longer. In general, 50% of couples will conceive by three months, 75% by six months, and 85% by twelve months of having regular unprotected intercourse. Those couples who have not conceived after a year or more of trying have infertility and should seek evaluation from a Fertility Specialist physician. Texas Fertility Center has six board-certified Fertility Specialists who have completed a four year residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology and an additional two or three year fellowship in Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility.

During your infertility evaluation, we will thoroughly look for causes for why you have not been able to conceive naturally. We will test to see if you ovulate an egg(s) from your ovaries regularly, that your uterus is structurally normal and that your fallopian tubes are structurally normal and open, and if your partner has adequate numbers of moving sperm. We also will evaluate to see if your ovaries may be prematurely aged compared to your biological age, a condition commonly referred to as “diminished ovarian reserve.” Fertility is usually reduced in women in their late thirties and early forties and women with premature ovarian aging may have reduce fertility at younger ages.

Some patients will also undergo an outpatient surgical procedure under anesthesia, laparoscopy, to evaluate the abdominal and pelvic cavities for abnormalities such as endometriosis that may be contributing to your difficulty conceiving.

During this evaluation for infertility we will usually we will find a cause or causes that help explain your infertility. When we have done a complete evaluation and there is no cause found, we use the term “Unexplained Infertility” to describe the couples who have normal tests but still have infertility.

Unexplained infertility is a frustrating condition, as, while on the surface everything appears to be normal, the couples are still unable to get pregnant naturally. Approximately one in four infertile couples will have unexplained infertility. The good news is that there are effective treatments for unexplained infertility that can help you conceive the child you have been waiting for.