Ovulation disorders appear to be the most common cause of infertility in women. Ovulation is the monthly release of an egg. The eggs may never be released or they may only be released in some cycles. Ovulation disorders can be due to: Premature ovarian failure: The ovaries stop working before the age of 40 years. Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS): The ovaries function abnormally and ovulation ma ...

Ovulation disorders Ovulation disorders, meaning you ovulate infrequently or not at all, account for infertility in about 1 in 4 infertile couples. Problems with the regulation of reproductive hormones by the hypothalamus or the pituitary gland, or problems in the ovary, can cause ovulation disorders. Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). PCOS causes a hormone imbalance, which affects ovulation. PCOS ...

What age-related factors may be involved with infertility in females and males? Fertility naturally declines as females and males get older. For instance, a female is born with all the eggs she will ever have naturally. Researchers currently believe that women are born with 1 million to 2 million eggs and that this number decreases throughout the lifespan. The decrease in fertility accelerates ov ...

Testing and Treatment: The first few days of your monthly cycle is the best time to schedule your first visit to a fertility doctor, so you can start trying to get pregnant right away. Bring along all your medical records, or ask your previous doctor to send them directly to the reproductive endocrinologist. Also, you should make a list of any questions that you'd like to discuss during this initi ...

Infertility tests for females A female will undergo a general physical examination, and the doctor will ask about medical history, medications, menstruation cycle, and sexual habits. They will also undergo a gynecologic examination and a number of tests: Blood test: This can assess hormone levels and whether a female is ovulating. Hysterosalpingography: A technician injects fluid into the uterus ...

What is required for a couple to become pregnant? In order for a couple to become pregnant, at least four things have to happen: A woman must produce and release a healthy egg from one of her ovaries (ovulation). A man must produce viable sperm which can successfully fertilize the woman’s egg (fertilization). The egg must travel through a fallopian tube toward the uterus (transportation). The fer ...

Some of the tests the doctor may want include: A sperm count and analysis to evaluate whether your partner is releasing enough live, normally shaped, fast-moving sperm to make fatherhood possible. Complete blood count and screening of both partners for blood type, HIV and hepatitis viruses, as well as immunity to German measles, and to assess functioning of organs, such as the thyroid gland. Horm ...

Assisted conception The following methods are currently available for assisted conception. Intrauterine insemination (IUI): At the time of ovulation, a fine catheter is inserted through the cervix into the uterus to place a sperm sample directly into the uterus. The sperm is washed in a fluid and the best specimens are selected. The woman may be given a low dose of ovary stimulating hormones. I ...