Unexplained infertility
Unexplained infertility is the failure to determine a cause of infertility after a thorough evaluation of the involved partners. Approximately 10 percent of infertility is unexplained.
True unexplained infertility may be related to egg and sperm dysfunction, among other causes. These conditions are difficult to establish through conventional testing.
Diagnostic tests for unexplained infertility
Evaluation begins with a comprehensive review of all testing and treatment performed to date. It’s not uncommon to uncover evidence within this past evaluation that may, in fact, document a cause of reproductive inefficiency.
It’s likely that your physician will request that the male partner repeat a semen analysis if an andrology laboratory did not perform a recent analysis. In this way, your physician may establish a diagnosis of male factor infertility through a comprehensive semen analysis or related sperm function testing.
Additionally, a diagnosis of unexplained infertility is not accurate unless a laparoscopy has been performed. In this way, conditions such as endometriosis and pelvic scarring are ruled out.
Treatment for unexplained infertility
Our physicians base their treatment recommendations on a number of factors:
Treatment options may include controlled ovarian stimulation and a processed sperm specimen for intrauterine insemination (IUI) or in vitro fertilization (IVF). The important difference in treatment options is that we can often maximize the egg and sperm interaction through IVF in order to promote fertilization and establish a successful pregnancy.
