INFERTILITY COUNSELING

Infertility is defined as an inability to conceive after a period of one year of trying. For women over the age of 35, infertility treatment is recommended after a period of six months of trying to conceive.

In order for a pregnancy to occur, a number of things must happen. The woman must have healthy eggs that can move from ovary to uterus. The man must produce healthy sperm that is able to fertilize an egg. The fertilized egg, or embryo, must successfully implant into the uterus, and the embryo must be healthy enough to thrive and grow.

If there is an issue in any one of these conditions, infertility can result. While infertility was once primarily thought of as a woman’s health issue, researchers today understand that only 40% of cases are related to women’s health, while another one-third are tied to the man’s health. The remaining cases occur from unknown cause (unexplained fertility).

Infertility counseling is the process of determining the likely cause for your fertility struggles and finding the best treatment options to improve your chances of pregnancy. It involves an in-depth, customized evaluation to look for potential causes.

Infertility testing for women might include a combination of:

• Ovulation testing
• Imaging to look for uterine or fallopian tube abnormalities – pelvic ultrasound
• Hysterosalpingography to check for blockages in fallopian tubes
• Ovarian reserve testing
• Hormone level assessments
• Hysteroscopy to check for signs of intra-uterine disease, such as polyps
• Genetic testing

Once the likely source of infertility is determined, Dr. Kandinov creates your customized treatment plan. Fertility drugs are available that can help regulate or induce ovulation. Certain conditions can be treated surgically, often through minimally invasive procedures. Intrauterine insemination is also an option.