Knowledge | Infertility Appointment Guide: Discussing Fertility With Your Doctor
When pregnancy is difficult to achieve, a detailed discussion with your doctor is an important step. Preparing questions in advance can make communication easier and help you understand possible causes and treatments.
Your doctor will ask questions, but you can also prepare your own list. Suggested questions include:
Could smoking, alcohol, or stress affect my fertility?
Could my work or my partner's work affect our ability to conceive?
Could nonmedical approaches such as relaxation or meditation improve our chances?
Should we have an infertility evaluation now, or wait longer?
Which infertility tests do you recommend, and what do they cost?
What treatment options are available, and what do they cost?
How much fertility testing or treatment is typically covered by insurance?
What is the live-birth success rate for each treatment?
How many of these treatments has this fertility clinic performed, and what is its success rate?
Can you connect us with patients who have had similar cases?
How Is Infertility Diagnosed?
A doctor reviews your medical history, medications, sexual history, and sexual activity, including how often you have sex.
Men typically have a physical examination and semen analysis to assess sperm health.
For women, testing begins with a medical history and physical examination, including a pelvic exam. The doctor confirms whether ovulation occurs regularly and eggs are released normally. Blood tests commonly measure hormone levels. Ultrasound may be used to view the ovaries and uterus, and a specialized X-ray can assess the uterus and fallopian tubes.
In about 80% of couples, infertility is caused by ovulation problems, blocked fallopian tubes, or sperm problems. In 5%-15% of cases, all test results are normal and the cause remains unexplained.
Infertility Treatments
Treatments for men:
Surgery: Used for infertility caused by varicocele or blockage of the vas deferens.
Antibiotics: Used to treat reproductive tract infections.
Medication and counseling: Used for erection or ejaculation problems.
Hormone therapy: Used when certain hormone levels are too high or too low.
Treatments for women:
Fertility medications and hormones: Help induce ovulation or restore hormone levels.
Surgery: Removes tissue that interferes with fertility, such as endometriosis, or opens blocked fallopian tubes.
Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART)
ART includes several fertility procedures:
Intrauterine insemination (IUI): Collected sperm is placed directly in the uterus around ovulation.
In vitro fertilization (IVF): Sperm and eggs are collected and combined in a laboratory. After 3 to 5 days of culture, an embryo is transferred to the uterus.
Gamete intrafallopian transfer (GIFT) and zygote intrafallopian transfer (ZIFT): Sperm and eggs are collected and placed in a fallopian tube. With GIFT, sperm and eggs are placed together in the tube. With ZIFT, they are combined in the laboratory and the fertilized egg is placed in the tube within 24 hours.
Infertility Resources
Resolve: Provides infertility research, support, and advocacy resources.
American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM): Provides information for patients and healthcare professionals.
Knowledge | Infertility Appointment Guide: Discussing Fertility With Your Doctor
Knowledge | Infertility Appointment Guide: Discussing Fertility With Your Doctor
When pregnancy is difficult to achieve, a detailed discussion with your doctor is an important step. Preparing questions in advance can make communication easier and help you understand possible causes and treatments.
Your doctor will ask questions, but you can also prepare your own list. Suggested questions include:
Could smoking, alcohol, or stress affect my fertility?
Could my work or my partner's work affect our ability to conceive?
Could nonmedical approaches such as relaxation or meditation improve our chances?
Should we have an infertility evaluation now, or wait longer?
Which infertility tests do you recommend, and what do they cost?
What treatment options are available, and what do they cost?
How much fertility testing or treatment is typically covered by insurance?
What is the live-birth success rate for each treatment?
How many of these treatments has this fertility clinic performed, and what is its success rate?
Can you connect us with patients who have had similar cases?
How Is Infertility Diagnosed?
A doctor reviews your medical history, medications, sexual history, and sexual activity, including how often you have sex.
Men typically have a physical examination and semen analysis to assess sperm health.
For women, testing begins with a medical history and physical examination, including a pelvic exam. The doctor confirms whether ovulation occurs regularly and eggs are released normally. Blood tests commonly measure hormone levels. Ultrasound may be used to view the ovaries and uterus, and a specialized X-ray can assess the uterus and fallopian tubes.
In about 80% of couples, infertility is caused by ovulation problems, blocked fallopian tubes, or sperm problems. In 5%-15% of cases, all test results are normal and the cause remains unexplained.
Infertility Treatments
Treatments for men:
Surgery: Used for infertility caused by varicocele or blockage of the vas deferens.
Antibiotics: Used to treat reproductive tract infections.
Medication and counseling: Used for erection or ejaculation problems.
Hormone therapy: Used when certain hormone levels are too high or too low.
Treatments for women:
Fertility medications and hormones: Help induce ovulation or restore hormone levels.
Surgery: Removes tissue that interferes with fertility, such as endometriosis, or opens blocked fallopian tubes.
Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART)
ART includes several fertility procedures:
Intrauterine insemination (IUI): Collected sperm is placed directly in the uterus around ovulation.
In vitro fertilization (IVF): Sperm and eggs are collected and combined in a laboratory. After 3 to 5 days of culture, an embryo is transferred to the uterus.
Gamete intrafallopian transfer (GIFT) and zygote intrafallopian transfer (ZIFT): Sperm and eggs are collected and placed in a fallopian tube. With GIFT, sperm and eggs are placed together in the tube. With ZIFT, they are combined in the laboratory and the fertilized egg is placed in the tube within 24 hours.
Infertility Resources
Resolve: Provides infertility research, support, and advocacy resources.
American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM): Provides information for patients and healthcare professionals.
Story source:
Collected online