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In some couples, no obvious cause for their infertility
is found. This is called unexplained infertility and may
occur in 5 percent or less of couples after the work-up
and evaluation are completed.
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Unexplained infertility simply means that we do not know
why the couple is not fertile - essentially, it is a confession
of medical ignorance. People with unexplained infertility
do have a cause for their infertility, but due to limitations
of our current testing, we cannot determine the reason.
Although we have made great strides in understanding human
reproduction, there is much more to learn. With time, some
causes for what we call unexplained infertility will be better
understood.
The diagnosis is one of exclusion-that is, one that is made
only after all the tests have been performed and their results
found to be normal.
Infertility may be labeled as "unexplained"
when:
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- the woman is ovulating regularly, has open fallopian tubes
with no evidence of adhesions or endometriosis
- the man has normal sperm production
- sexual intercourse takes place frequently, particularly around
the time of ovulation
- the couple has been trying to conceive for at least one year
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Because unexplained infertility carries no specific diagnosis,
the treatment recommended by fertility specialists is empiric. This
means that the treatment is done to optimize a couple's chance of
successful conception but is not used to treat or overcome a specific
problem.
In some instances, couples with unexplained infertility will conceive
over time. In fact, fifty percent of couples diagnosed with unexplained
infertility, who have never had a child before, will conceive within
five-and-a-half years. And, if the couple has had a previous child,
fifty percent will conceive within two to three years.
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