Shelby A. Neal, MD
Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility Specialist
My Locations
About Me
I take care of individuals and couples who have concerns related to their fertility. I strive to help my patients understand all of their options so that, together, we can decide on the best approach to treatment. My goal is to provide top-quality care to my patients as they seek to fulfill their dreams of parenthood. My clinical interests include infertility, recurrent pregnancy loss, and fertility preservation. In my spare time, I enjoy spending time with my husband and our three young children.
LGBTQ+ Identified or Ally
- Assistant Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Reproductive Endocrinology & Infertility 2021
Call for an Appointment
Areas of Expertise
- Infertility
- LGBTQ+ Fertility Options
- Egg Donation
- Recurrent Pregnancy Loss
- Fertility Preservation
Ratings and Reviews
The ratings and reviews are based on patient responses to the overall provider rating question from the survey. The question reads: “Using any number from 0 to 10, where 0 is the worst provider possible and 10 is the best provider possible, what number would you use to rate this provider?” Responses are converted to a 5-point rating system and applied consistently to all providers. Learn more about our survey process. Patients who see some types of providers receive a different version of the patient satisfaction survey. Those results are not available on DukeHealth.org.
Training and Education
In the News
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Clinical Focus and Research
- Nguyen, Nguyen Thao Thi, Lester Watch, Carmen Rauh Garrido, Alexandra Bickett, Shakthi Unnithan, Tracy Truong, Alaattin Erkanli, and Shelby Neal. “Sonographic characteristics associated with early pregnancy loss in pregnancies conceived via in vitro fertilization.” Eur J Obstet Gynecol Reprod Biol 315 (October 6, 2025): 114759. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejogrb.2025.114759.
- Harris, Benjamin S., Kelly S. Acharya, Shakthi Unnithan, Shelby A. Neal, Sloane Mebane, Tracy Truong, and Suheil J. Muasher. “Success rates with preimplantation genetic testing for aneuploidy in good prognosis patients are dependent on age.” Fertil Steril 123, no. 3 (March 2025): 428–38. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fertnstert.2024.09.043.
- Mebane, Sloane, Benjamin S. Harris, Julia T. Woodward, Amanda Brucker, Alaattin Erkanli, Caroline Turner Nagle, David Steele, and Shelby Neal. “A SURVEY STUDY EVALUATING DONOR GAMETE UTILIZATION RATES, PATIENT SATISFACTION AND FERTILITY TREATMENT OUTCOMES ACCORDING TO DESIRED RACE AND ETHNICITY OF THE GAMETE DONOR.” Fertility and Sterility 120, no. 4 (October 2023): e261–e261. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fertnstert.2023.08.770.
- Neal, S. A., J. M. Franasiak, and R. T. Scott. “Hematologic disease in implantation failure.” In Recurrent Implantation Failure Etiologies and Clinical Management, 125–34, 2018. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-71967-2_8.
- Mebane, Sloane, Benjamin S. Harris, Julia Woodward, Amanda Brucker, Alaattin Erkanli, Caroline Nagle, David Steele, and Shelby Neal. “A survey study evaluating donor gamete utilization rates, patient satisfaction, and fertility treatment outcomes according to desired race and ethnicity.” In Fertil Steril, 122:856–65, 2024. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fertnstert.2024.06.017.
- Bernard, Abigail L., Hilary S. Friedlander, Erin White, Douglas Raburn, Shelby Neal, and Kelly S. Acharya. “EFFECTOFABORTION LEGISLATION ON ELECTIVE UTILIZATION OF PREIMPLANTATION GENETIC TESTING FOR ANEUPLOIDY (PGT-A) IN LOW-RISK PATIENTS, INCLUDING DONOR OOCYTE RECIPIENTS.” In FERTILITY AND STERILITY, 122:E126–27, 2024.
- Bernard, Abigail L., Hilary Friedlander, Erin White, Douglas Raburn, Shelby Neal, and Kelly S. Acharya. “EFFECT OF FEDERAL AND STATE ABORTION LEGISLATION ON ASSISTED REPRODUCTIVE TECHNOLOGY TRENDS: INCREASED UTILIZATION OF PREIMPLANTATION GENETIC TESTING FOR ANEUPLOIDY (PGT-A) IN PATIENTS <35 YEARS OF AGE.” In FERTILITY AND STERILITY, 122:E16–E16, 2024.
Insurance Accepted
Duke Health contracts with most major health insurance carriers and transplant networks, including the ones listed below.
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Aetna
- Aetna Choice POS, Aetna Choice POS II
- Aetna Elect Choice HMO, Aetna Open Access Elect Choice
- Aetna Health Network Only, Aetna Health Network Option
- Aetna HMO
- Aetna Limited Benefit Insurance PPO
- Aetna Managed Choice POS
- Aetna Medicare Assure Plan (HMO D-SNP)
- Aetna Medicare Eagle Plan (PPO)
- Aetna Medicare Essential Plan (PPO)
- Aetna Medicare Value Plan (HMO)
- Aetna Open Access HMO, Open Access Aetna Select, Aetna Open Access Managed Choice
- Aetna Open Choice PPO
- Aetna PCP Coordinated POS Plan
- Aetna Quality Point of Service (QPOS)
- Aetna Select HMO
- Aetna Traditional Choice
- Aetna Voluntary Indemnity Group Plan
- Aetna Whole Health – Duke WakeMed WKCC
- Aetna/CVS Health
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Ambetter
- Ambetter of North Carolina
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Blue Cross Blue Shield of NC
- Blue Advantage
- Blue Medicare (HMO, PPO)*
- Blue Options (123, PPO, HSA)
- Blue Select
- NC State Employees Health Plan
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*Duke HomeCare and Hospice does not participate in the plan.
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Cigna
- Cigna Behavioral Health (*Limited eligibility)
- Cigna Choice Plus
- Cigna Connect Individual Family Plan
- Cigna Open Access
- Cigna Open Access Plus
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*Please call Cigna Behavioral Heath to see if the provider is participating in your plan.
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Duke Group Plans
- Duke Basic
- Duke Select
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Experience Health
- Experience Health Medicare Advantage (HMO) Plan
- Gateway Health Alliance
- Healthgram
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Humana
- Humana Choice (PPO)
- Humana Choice - Medicare Advantage (PPO)
- Humana ChoiceCare - Medicare Advantage (PPO)
- Humana Gold Choice - Medicare Advantage (PFFS)
- Humana Gold Plus - Medicare Advantage (HMO)
- Humana Medicare Advantage Group Plan - NC State Retirees
- MedCost
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Medicare
- First Medicare Direct
- Medicare Part A
- Medicare Part B
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NC Medicaid
- AmeriHealth Caritas North Carolina
- Carolina Complete Health
- Healthy Blue
- NC Medicaid Direct
- UHC Community Plan
- WellCare of North Carolina
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TRICARE
- TRICARE Prime
- TRICARE Prime Remote
- TRICARE Select
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United Healthcare
- AARP Medicare Advantage Plan 2 (HMO-POS)
- AARP Medicare Complete (HMO, PPO)*
- AARP Medicare Complete Essential (HMO)*
- All Savers Alternate Funding
- All Savers Fully Insured
- United Healthcare (HMO, PPO, POS)**
- United Healthcare Charter/Charter Balance/Charter Plus
- United Healthcare Choice/Choice Plus
- United Healthcare Core/Core Essential
- United Healthcare Navigate/Navigate Plus/Navigate Balanced
- United Healthcare Option PPO
- United Healthcare Passport Connect Choice/Choice Plus
- United Healthcare Passport Connect Options PPO
- United Healthcare Select/Select Plus
- United Healthcare Shared Services - Harvard Pilgrim/UHC Options PPO Network
- United Medical Resources (UMR)
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*Duke HomeCare and Hospice and mental health providers do not participate with the plan.
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**Duke Health does not participate in UHC plans on the Health Insurance Marketplace.
Before scheduling your appointment, we strongly recommend you contact your insurance company to verify that the Duke Health location or provider you plan to visit is included in your network. Your insurance company will also be able to inform you of any co-payments, co–insurances, or deductibles that will be your responsibility. If you proceed in scheduling an appointment and your health insurance benefits do not participate with Duke, your out of pocket liability may be higher. We will contact you regarding your coverage and patient liability. If you are uninsured, learn more about our financial assistance policy.
Dr. Neal was wonderfully personable and kind throughout our entire conversation. I look forward to more visits with her and her team.
Dr. Neal is an amazing listener and knows her stuff. I trust her 100%
Dr. Neal was fantastic - very knowledgeable, and a good listener.
Very good
This was a great visit. I felt heard and understood, and also felt reassured. The explanations were clear and concise.
This was such a positive experience! I'm so glad that we've been able to get in with the clinic and I am excited to start the treatment.
Special thanks to Dr. Neal for being an amazing provider!
Everyone at Duke Fertility is amazing. All medical staff is so caring and supportive along the way.