Is Infertility Treatable?

My wife and I have been trying to get pregnant for about 18 months now with no luck. We’re going to have to see the doctor, but I don’t know what to expect as far as a diagnosis. Is Infertility Treatable? What’s the treatment for female infertility?

Most cases of infertility are treatable, but it depends on the cause.

The doctor will meet with you and your partner after the evaluation is completed and outline a treatment plan according to the diagnosis, duration of infertility, and the woman's age. If pregnancy has not been accomplished within a reasonable time, the couple and the doctor may consider further evaluation or a different treatment plan. The doctor should be able to counsel the couple in forming realistic expectations for pregnancy.

Most infertility can be treated with conventional therapies, such as drug treatment (fertility drugs) to promote ovulation or surgery to repair problems with reproductive organs.

• For men, the most common cause of infertility in the couple is with the sperm. Either no sperm cells are produced or few are produced. Sperm also can be defective or die before they reach the egg.
• For women, the most common cause of infertility factor is an ovulation disorder. Other causes of female infertility include blocked Fallopian tubes, which can occur when a woman has had pelvic inflammatory disease or endometriosis (a sometimes painful condition causing adhesions and cysts). Congenital anomalies involving the structure of the uterus or uterine fibroids may cause repeated miscarriages.