About Infertility

With 1 in 6 couples affected by infertility it's far more common than most people think.

Infertility is defined as a couple who have not conceived after twelve months of regular unprotected intercourse, if under the age of 35, and after 6 months if over 35.

Around 20% of couples will have failed to achieve a pregnancy in that time and will face investigation and treatment for infertility.

The good news is that at least half of these will be helped by relatively simple means and the remainder may be helped by IVF.

Conception

Human reproduction results from the fusion of a sperm from the male and an egg from the female in a process called fertilisation. The resulting zygote begins a process of continuous cell division becoming an embryo which, if it implants in the lining of the female’s uterus, results in a pregnancy.

Therefore, the following must occur for a successful pregnancy to take place:

An ovum be released from an ovary and enter the fallopian tube.
Sufficient sperm deposited into the vagina at around the time of ovulation.
The fallopian tube be not blocked or damaged so that the sperm may reach the ovum and the fertilised ovum may move down into the uterus and implant.

Causes of infertility – not just a female problem

In 40% of cases the cause of infertility is attributed to the female partner, 40% to the male partner and the remaining 20% are combined female and male factors or unknown infertility where there is no obvious cause.