Read up on Fertility problems treatment options at Consumer Reports Health.

Fertility problems

Key points about treatments

If you and your partner have been diagnosed as infertile, it means you've been trying to have a baby for a year without success. It doesn't mean you'll never be able to have a baby. Doctors can't work miracles but there are treatments that can help, whatever the problem.

Treatments for infertility include hormones, surgery and "high-tech" treatments such as in vitro fertilization (IVF). Some couples may need only one type of treatment to get pregnant, but others will need to try more than one. It's worth weighing the strain of some fertility treatments and the risk of possible side effects against the chances of success.

Bear in mind that if you get pregnant you may still miscarry. As many as 1 in 5 couples who get pregnant have a miscarriage. This can be very distressing, especially if you've been trying to get pregnant for a long time. Treatment for infertility doesn't make a miscarriage less likely. The older the woman, the greater the chance of miscarriage.

Treatment of infertility

Which treatments work best for infertility? We've looked at the research and divided the treatments into categories. And we've divided up our key messages on treatments for infertility depending on what's causing your fertility problems.

For more detailed information about each treatment, click on the links below. For help in deciding what treatment is best for you, see How to use research to support your treatment decisions.

Some doctors ask women who are very overweight to lose weight before having treatment. To find out more, see Fertility treatment and your weight.

Treatments for women with problems ovulating

A drug called clomiphene improves your chances of getting pregnant. It's a good treatment to try first.
If clomiphene doesn't work, hormone shots may help. But they have more side effects than clomiphene.
A special kind of keyhole surgery may also help women with a condition called

polycystic ovary syndrome
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS for short) is a problem that affects a woman's ovaries. Eggs stored in the ovaries grow into small lumps called cysts. This can stop the eggs leaving the ovary and can cause infertility. Women with PCOS also have an imbalance in their hormones.

polycystic ovary syndrome.
If these treatments don't work, ask your doctor about IVF (in vitro fertilization).

This information was last updated on Mar 06, 2009

This information is for educational use only, and is not a substitute for prompt professional medical advice. Readers should always consult a physician or other professional for advice and treatment.
© BMJ Publishing Group Limited 2009. All rights reserved.

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