1) What is female infertility?

Infertility is defined as not being able to become pregnant after having regular intercourse (sex) without birth control after one year (or after six months if a woman is 35 years or older).

Fertility means being able to become pregnant (conceive), and it involves many steps, which must work just right for a woman to become pregnant. About 90 out of 100 couples will be able to get pregnant within 12 months of trying.

2) What causes infertility in women?

Infertility in women could be because of ovulatory disturbances / PCOD, tubal block, endometriosis, uterine defects like fibroids, intrauterine adhesions (Asherman's Syndrome), uterine septum, polyps etc.

3) Is infertility just a woman's problem?

Both men and women contribute to infertility equally and sometimes there could be combined causes.

4) What things increase a woman's risk of infertility?

Many things can affect a woman's ability to have a baby. These include:

• Age
• Stress
• Poor diet
• Athletic training
• Being overweight or underweight
• Tobacco smoking
• Alcohol
• Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs)
• Health problems that cause hormonal changes

5) How do doctors treat infertility?

Often, medication and intrauterine insemination are used at the same time. Doctors recommend specific treatments for infertility on the basis of

• The factors contributing to the infertility.
• The duration of the infertility.
• The age of the female.
• The couple’s treatment preference after counseling about success rates, risks, and benefits of each treatment option.

6) Does age play a role in fertility after cancer?

Yes, age plays an important role in a woman’s fertility.

7) How can I find an infertility specialist?

This is an easy question to answer! We will help you to find an infertility specialist.

8) How is infertility tested?

For the woman, the first step in testing is to determine if she is ovulating each month. This can be done by charting changes in morning body temperature, by using an FDA-approved home ovulation test kit (which is available over the counter), or by examining cervical mucus, which undergoes a series of hormone-induced changes throughout the menstrual cycle.

Checks of ovulation can also be done in the physician's office with simple blood tests for hormone levels or ultrasound tests of the ovaries. If the woman is ovulating, further testing will need to be done.

9) What is IVF (In Vitro Fertilization)?

IVF (In-vitro fertilization) or test tube baby as it is commonly called is a procedure in which the eggs and the sperms are fertilized outside the body and then transferred back to the womb after 2-5 days.

10) When are the Embryos Frozen?

They can be either frozen the day after egg retrieval, known as the 2 pronuclear stage, or on any day after the egg retrieval.

11) What is Frozen Embryo Transfer (FET)?

A FET procedure is the cycle of thawing and transferring a frozen embryo retrieved from a donor egg cycle or previous fresh IVF cycle back into the woman’s uterus. FETs are proven to increase implantation rates and support positive obstetrical outcomes. FETs also allow for better connections between the placenta and mother due to healthier implantation processes.