What is Infertility?

What is infertility?

After a year of regular sexual relations without achieving pregnancy, you might begin to suspect that there is some kind of problem. For older women, we recommend that you go for a consultation when six months of sexual relations have failed to result in a pregnancy.

The human species does not have a high reproductive potential. There is around a 25% chance of becoming pregnant during sex when the woman is ovulating. Approximately 1 in 6 couples of fertile age will be affected by sterility. These statistics apply to women below the age of 35. Beyond that age reproductive potential decreases, and after the age of 40 the chances of becoming pregnant are less than 10% each month.

Tests for finding out whether one or both members of a couple are infertile.

The tests for diagnosing infertility include a complete medical history and physical examination of both members of the couple. In the case of the woman, the basic tests are a basal hormone study, an ultrasound scan and a hysterosalpingography, although the range of tests can be extended depending on the patient. To complete the diagnosis it will also be necessary to assess semen quality in the man via a seminogram test.