Unexplained infertility

Unexplained infertility

Unexplained infertility means, literally, that the cause of infertility is not known; about 22% of couples fit into this category. Some of these patients will eventually achieve a pregnancy naturally but many will not. The decision to undergo treatment is based on statistics which show that the chances of becoming pregnant with treatment are much higher.

The exact cause of unexplained infertility is obviously unknown. It is thought, however, that many cases are caused by subtle abnormalities of ovulation, egg or sperm function for which screening is not available.

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Treatment options

Treatment usually involves:

• Increasing the number of eggs released to 2 or 3 using ovulation induction drugs. Find out more on the Ovulation Induction Treatment page.

• Bringing the egg and sperm closer together using an artificial insemination technique. Find out more on the
  • IUI  Intra-Uterine Insemination page
  • IVF  In-Vitro Fertilisation page
  • ICSI  Intra-Cytoplasmin Sperm Injection page