Infertility

Also called: Sterility

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Summary

Infertility means not being able to become pregnant after a year of trying. If a woman can get pregnant but keeps having miscarriages or stillbirths, that's also called infertility.

Infertility is fairly common. After one year of having unprotected sex, about 15 percent of couples are unable to get pregnant. About a third of the time, infertility can be traced to the woman. In another third of cases, it is because of the man. The rest of the time, it is because of both partners or no cause can be found.

There are treatments that are specifically for men or for women. Some involve both partners. Drugs, assisted reproductive technology, and surgery are common treatments. Happily, many couples treated for infertility go on to have babies.

NIH: National Institute of Child Health and Human Development

Start Here

Defining Infertility (American Society for Reproductive Medicine) - PDF
Infertility (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
Infertility and Fertility (National Institute of Child Health and Human Development)
Infertility FAQ's (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
Optimizing Natural Fertility (American Society for Reproductive Medicine) - PDF Also in Spanish
Pregnancy Problems? Boost the Chance of Having a Baby (National Institutes of Health) Also in Spanish

Latest News

Sperm Counts Continue to Decline in Western Nations: Review (07/25/2017, HealthDay)
Donor-Sperm Kids No Different from Their Peers: Study (07/21/2017, HealthDay)
Consider Acupuncture for Incontinence, Not Certain Infertility Cases (06/27/2017, HealthDay)

Diagnosis and Tests

Evaluating Infertility (American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists)
How Is Infertility Diagnosed? (National Institute of Child Health and Human Development) Also in Spanish
Prerequisite Testing for Infertility Treatment (Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology)

Prevention and Risk Factors

Protect Your Fertility (American Society for Reproductive Medicine) - PDF

Treatments and Therapies

Assisted Reproductive Technology: MedlinePlus Health Topic (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
Fertility Herbs: Do They Enhance Fertility? (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
Intrauterine Insemination (IUI) (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
Treating Infertility (American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists) Also in Spanish
What Infertility Treatments Are Available? (National Institute of Child Health and Human Development) Also in Spanish

Living With

Infertility Counseling and Support: When and Where to Find It (American Society for Reproductive Medicine) - PDF
Psychological Component of Infertility (American Society for Reproductive Medicine)
Stress and Infertility (American Society for Reproductive Medicine) - PDF Also in Spanish

Related Issues

Diethylstilbestrol (DES) and Cancer (National Cancer Institute) Also in Spanish
Fertility Drugs and the Risk of Multiple Births (American Society for Reproductive Medicine) - PDF Also in Spanish
Reproductive Aging in Women (American Society for Reproductive Medicine) - PDF
Secondary Infertility: Why Does It Happen? (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
Sexual Dysfunction and Infertility (American Society for Reproductive Medicine) Also in Spanish
Smoking and Infertility (American Society for Reproductive Medicine) Also in Spanish
STDs and Infertility (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
Weight and Fertility (American Society for Reproductive Medicine) Also in Spanish
What Is Fertility Preservation? (National Institute of Child Health and Human Development) Also in Spanish

Genetics

Genetics Home Reference: 17-beta hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase 3 deficiency (National Library of Medicine)
Genetics Home Reference: 3-beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase deficiency (National Library of Medicine)
Genetics Home Reference: 46,XX testicular disorder of sex development (National Library of Medicine)
Genetics Home Reference: androgen insensitivity syndrome (National Library of Medicine)
Genetics Home Reference: Bloom syndrome (National Library of Medicine)
Genetics Home Reference: Leydig cell hypoplasia (National Library of Medicine)
Genetics Home Reference: Swyer syndrome (National Library of Medicine)

Videos and Tutorials

Understanding Infertility - The Basics (American Society for Reproductive Medicine)

Statistics and Research

High Plasticizer Levels In Males Linked to Delayed Pregnancy for Female Partners (National Institute of Child Health and Human Development)
Infertility Research at the NICHD (National Institute of Child Health and Human Development)

Clinical Trials

ClinicalTrials.gov: Artificial Insemination (National Institutes of Health)
ClinicalTrials.gov: Fertility (National Institutes of Health)
ClinicalTrials.gov: Fertilization in Vitro (National Institutes of Health)
ClinicalTrials.gov: Infertility (National Institutes of Health)

Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)

Find an Expert

National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Also in Spanish
womenshealth.gov (Department of Health and Human Services, Office on Women's Health) Also in Spanish

Men

Male Infertility: MedlinePlus Health Topic (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish

Women

Female Infertility: MedlinePlus Health Topic (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish

Patient Handouts

Androgen insensitivity syndrome (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
Infertility (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish

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MedlinePlus Email Updates

MEDICAL ENCYCLOPEDIA

National Institutes of Health

The primary NIH organization for research on Infertility is the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development

Disclaimers

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