- Medically, a couple are considered infertile if the woman is under 35 and they have had regular unprotected intercourse for 12 months or longer without conceiving a child. For women over 35, the couple are considered infertile if they have not conceived a child for 6 months or longer. A woman can be considered infertile if she has miscarried pregnancies two or more times. Primary infertility is when the couple have never conceived before, but secondary infertility refers to when a couple have successfully brought a child to term in the past.
- In about one third of infertile couples, female infertility is the primary cause, one third due to the male and the remaining proportion consisting of a mix of both or due to unknown conditions. When attempting to determine whether a couple are infertile, tests should be conducted on both partners. These tests are rather non-invasive and inexpensive for the most part, and can help determine if the poor rate of conception has been due to a statistical fluke or because of significant reproductive health issues.
- An endocrinologist can perform most reproductive health testing procedures. It helps to have both partners tested extensively to prevent the misapplication of fertility treatments. Drugs and surgeries that treat reproductive issues tend to have significant side effects and carry substantial related risks. A full battery of tests from a reproductive health specialist can help to reduce overall costs in the long run and to improve the success rates of the fertility treatments.
- For women, it helps to set up a first appointment with an endocrinologist in the first week of their cycle in order to conduct tests more efficiently. There are many blood tests, ultrasound techniques and other examinations that must be conducted in order to either rule out potential causes or objectively determine the causes of the infertility. Comparatively, the tests that men have to go through are significantly simpler. Semen samples are typically all that are needed to determine their reproductive health.
- Determining the causes of the infertility is not always possible, but the tests conducted by endocrinologists can at least point in the direction of what can be done to treat the situation. As infertility treatments have advanced and become more popular, many couples who would not have been able to conceive in the past can now have children. Sticking with a reproductive health program consistently over a period of several years or longer is often necessary for infertile couples to have children. It can be very expensive and emotionally taxing, but for many couples, it turns out to be the best decision of their lives.
