Infertility

What is Infertility?

About 7 million couples in the United States—or one in six—will have difficulty getting pregnant, or conceiving, and may need medical help to conceive a child. While there are many possible causes of infertility, there are many treatments available to help almost everyone. The nationally-recognized providers and researchers at UR Medicine are at the forefront of infertility treatment.

Conception is a complicated process that depends on many things, including:

• The production of healthy sperm and healthy eggs
• Open fallopian tubes that allow the sperm to reach the egg
• The sperm's ability to fertilize the egg when they meet
• The ability of the fertilized egg (embryo) to become implanted in the uterus
• Good embryo quality
• An adequate hormonal environment to support embryo development

When a problem comes up with even one of these factors, infertility can happen. Infertility can affect both partners.

What Causes Infertility? 

Common causes of infertility in people with a male reproductive system include:

• Azoospermia: no sperm cells are produced
• Oligospermia: few sperm cells are produced

Causes of infertility in people with female reproductive systems include:

• Ovulation disorder (the most common cause)
• Blocked fallopian tubes
• Pelvic inflammatory disease
• Endometriosis; a sometimes painful condition causing adhesions and cysts

What Are the Types of Infertility?

• Primary infertility: Difficulty conceiving for the first time after one year of regular, unprotected sexual intercourse. If you are over 35, primary infertility can be diagnosed after six months.
• Secondary infertility: The inability to get pregnant again after a successful pregnancy.
• Unexplained infertility: When fertility testing does not uncover a clear reason why a person or couple cannot get pregnant.

What Sets Us Apart?