Unexplained Infertility – How Do We Fix It If We Don’t Know What’s Wrong?
Many couples go to fertility specialists believing that they have ‘unexplained infertility.’ Well, it’s only natural that everything is unexplained unless you make an effort to try to explain it. So, until you begin an investigation, your cause for concern is unexplained.
What is Infertility?
Infertility is the inability of a couple to conceive within one year of trying to get pregnant. Depending upon the cause or nature of infertility, the treatment varies. Typically, out of hundred cases of infertility, thirty would be due to the female partner, thirty would be due to the male partner, and thirty would be a combination of both the female and male
partners. But in 10 per cent of the cases, fertility experts do not know the cause, which comes under the umbrella of unexplained infertility.
What is Unexplained Infertility?
Unexplained infertility is an exciting category of causes because many people think that since it is unexplained, there is no reason for it. But what is critical to understand with infertility is that there is always a reason for infertility. It is just a matter of how deep you look to find it.
Several primary conditions fall under the category of unexplained infertility. The best way to think of it is that it is related to the female pelvis, the most common of which is endometriosis. Among those who have been diagnosed with unexplained infertility, 70 per cent of them are due to endometriosis. Whether they have symptoms, endometriosis is a very challenging disease to diagnose.
How Can You Confirm Your Diagnosis for Unexplained Infertility?
Unexplained infertility is possibly the most frustrating diagnosis to have. You have been trying to get pregnant, have undergone a whole bunch of tests, and everything has come back normal. So, what do you do?
First, make sure you have completed all standard infertility tests. You should have checked to make sure that:
- you ovulate
- your uterus is normal
- your fallopian tubes are open
- your ovarian reserve is normal
- an ultrasound of your pelvis is normal
- your thyroid is functioning as it should
- your partner has a standard semen analysis and cap score
If all of those tests are normal, then you can think of a few different treatments to quicken up the time it takes for you to get pregnant. All of these treatments have two things in common: they use some kind of fertility medication and some method to increase the chance of getting your partner’s sperm to meet your egg.
Are There Any Available Treatments for Unexplained Fertility?
For many couples, constant support and guidance may help them to conceive naturally. This may involve making lifestyle changes
such as losing excess weight, quitting smoking and minimising alcohol intake. This form of treatment is also referred to as expectant management and perhaps the most economical option for many couples diagnosed with unexplained infertility.
Now, let’s explore an alternative to expectant management. This concerns the use of fertility medication like Clomid. The idea here is that you usually discharge only one egg each month. Using the fertility medication, you can increase the number of eggs released and have a higher chance that one of those eggs will get fertilized and implant in your uterus.
Your doctor must monitor you to determine when you ovulate. Instead of just relying on intercourse alone, consider having an IUI or Intrauterine Insemination at the time of ovulation. This will boost the amount of sperm that enters your fallopian tubes, thus enhancing the possibility for you to get pregnant. This is accurate even if your partner has had normal sperm testing. You may consider trying fertility medication with IUI up to four times. If you are still unable to conceive, contemplate moving to separate treatment.
Another option is to use injections of fertility medication. Injections like Follistim or Gonal-F are more powerful than Clomid. It is more common to get more eggs to develop. As a result, the pregnancy rates with injections are higher. You should also do IUI with injections.
Now, a word of warning. No doubt, the pregnancy rates look promising, which is excellent, but there is an increased chance of multiple conceptions. That does not only refer to twin pregnancies but may actually result in the conception of having triplets, quadruplets, or even more.
Need a Recommendation to Find your Perfect Fertility Clinic?
If you are looking for an IVF clinic in Hyderabad, be sure to take a look at MotherToBe, a well-known fertility centre that is headed by Lead Clinician Dr Vyjayanthi. As Director of the clinic and an experienced fertility specialist, she is one of the very few in India to have earned a sub-specialty accreditation in Reproductive Medicine & Surgery from the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, UK.
Assisted by a team of practised and senior clinicians and fertility specialists, Dr Vyjayanthi across her 18 years of practice has personally performed over 10,000 IVF cycles adhering to the highest standards of patient care whilst minimising the need for multiple rounds of IVF cycles. With a long and positive reputation in this field, Dr Vyjayanthi and MotherToBe ensure that the experience of your IVF treatment is as worry-free as possible. Seek the counsel of Dr Vyjayanthi’s expert team for a personalised approach to your fertility condition. Let your journey to parenthood begin at one of India’s foremost fertility centres of excellence that can enhance the chances of success for your IVF procedure with an experienced clinical and embryology team.