We offer a full range of infertility services tailored to fit your needs.
The information presented here is intended to help make informed decisions about your care but should not serve as a substitute for discussing your individual situation with one of our physicians.
The exact evaluation and treatment will vary among individuals. It is also influenced by any previous evaluations and treatments you may have had. Infertility programs have different approaches to the way testing and treatment is done. There is no "one best way" to treat infertility patients.
Being informed about your treatment is extremely important in helping to determine what is the right choice for your care.
Our goal at Duke University Medical Center is to provide you with diagnostic and therapeutic options tailored to you, as an individual couple, in order to maximize your potential for conceiving.
Infertility Factors
Infertility is an impairment in the ability to achieve pregnancy. There are multiple causes for infertility including male and female factors. In the United States there are about six million women and their partners affected by infertility. As a result of treatment, pregnancy rates can be significantly improved.
The chance of becoming pregnant in a young couple with adequate frequency of intercourse is estimated to be 25 percent in one month, 70 percent by six months, and 90 percent by one year. The chance of becoming pregnant after this time frame is very low.
As few as 5 percent of the couples that did not become pregnant in the first year will become pregnant by waiting an additional six to twelve months without treatment.
Age has a significant impact on the chances of becoming pregnant as well. Women over age 35 have about two-thirds the rate of pregnancy compared to women aged 20 to 25.
The causes of infertility can be broadly grouped into what are called factors. For example, a problem with the fallopian tube would be referred to as a tubal factor. These factors are represented below with an estimate of their occurrence in couples presenting for fertility care.
Notice that about 10 percent of the infertility cases are labeled idiopathic, which means the cause is unknown. And male factor infertility accounts for approximately 35 percent of couples presenting for management of their infertility.
