Couples who have difficulty conceiving and have been diagnosed with ‘unexplained infertility’ by their doctors are very confused. Especially if the condition is called ‘unexplained infertility’, this confusion increases even more and the question of why we can’t have children if there is no reason grows bigger. Moreover, the number of couples who receive this …
Couples who have difficulty conceiving and have been diagnosed with ‘unexplained infertility’ by their doctors are very confused. Especially if the condition is called ‘unexplained infertility’, this confusion increases even more and the question of why we can’t have children if there is no reason grows bigger. Moreover, the number of couples who receive this diagnosis is not small at all. 10-15 percent of couples who apply to infertility doctors fall into this diagnosis group.
How is unexplained infertility diagnosed?
In couples who receive this diagnosis, the woman is young, her ovarian reserve is good and she ovulates and menstruates regularly, there are no problems in some basic hormone tests, her tubes are open and healthy, no congenital or later problems were detected in her uterus. The man’s sperm parameters are also normal.
In short, no problem was detected after the basic evaluation of the couple, this diagnosis emphasizes this. In other words, things are not that bad. However, this diagnosis should not mean that there is no problem. There is usually no need for further tests at this stage. The diagnosis of infertility with an unexplained cause, as a result of basic tests, sheds light on the paths to be followed for the patient and the physician.
What are the paths to be followed?
Some of these couples will conceive naturally if more time is given. Therefore, it is possible to leave well-chosen, young couples with relatively short periods of unprotected intercourse alone for 3 or 6 months. While doing this, it is necessary to inform the couple about the estimated ovulation time and advise them to have intercourse during these periods.
The first step as a treatment is to apply egg-enhancing drugs or to follow natural egg development and recommend timed intercourse after the ovulation-inducing injection (cracking needle). I should state that I do not prefer this treatment, especially in women with regular menstruation – which is an indication of regular ovulation – if the couple has intercourse on the weekly number of days 2-3 or more.
The second step of the treatment is insemination treatment. Couples diagnosed with this condition may undergo one or more inseminations (intrauterine insemination, IUI). For my detailed article on insemination treatment, you can refer to the link below:
Insemination Treatment
When insemination is not successful, it is time for in vitro fertilization. Since this group generally includes young couples with no serious problems, the probability of obtaining satisfactory results is higher than couples undergoing in vitro fertilization for other medical reasons.
In conclusion, although this is a poorly named diagnostic group, there are many treatment options available for couples diagnosed with this ‘unexplained infertility’ condition, and the probability of success with treatments is high.
