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Infertility in women

Description

An in-depth report on the causes, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of female infertility.

Alternative Names

Pelvic inflammatory disease; Polycystic ovaries

Introduction

Infertility is the failure of a couple to become pregnant after one year of regular, unprotected intercourse. In both men and women the fertility process is complex.

About 10% of couples who wish to have a baby are still unable to after a year of unprotected sex. About half of these couples can achieve pregnancy within 2 years after appropriate treatment of the woman, the man, or both. Even under ideal circumstances, the probability that a woman will get pregnant during a single menstrual cycle is only about 30%. And, when conception does occur, only 50 - 60% of pregnancies advance beyond the 20th week. (The inability of a woman to produce a live birth because of abnormalities that cause miscarriages is called infecundity and is not discussed in detail in this report.)

Males and females each account for 40% of infertility. In the remaining 20%, either both partners are responsible or the cause is unclear. Although this report specifically addresses infertility in women, it is equally important for the male partner to be tested at the same time. [For information on male infertility, see In-Depth Report #67: Infertility in men.]

• Review Date: 10/19/2006
• Reviewed By: Harvey Simon, MD, Editor-in-Chief, Associate Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School; Physician, Massachusetts General Hospital.

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