In the report of National Survey of Family Growth, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found 1.5 million married women were infertile. Infertility is a disease of the reproductive system. Infertility can be from male or female etiology. A couple is diagnosed with infertility only if after 12 months of well-timed coituses, a pregnancy has not occurred.

The assessment of infertility begins with noninvasive studies. A semen analysis is required to assess the quantity and quality of the sperms. An abnormal semen analysis should be re-checked since sperm quality and quantity changes from time to time. It should be kept in mind that in up to 40% of causes of infertility male partner is the only contributor or at least has a part in infertility.

In females, anovulation is a treatable condition. In anovulation, the ovaries fail to release the ovum as supposed to. Anovulation can be diagnosed with the history of irregular menses, no change in body temperature during the cycle and lab studies that demonstrates no progesterone production in the body. Anovulation is treated either with medications that stimulates the body hormones to cause ovulation or exogenous hormones are used to induce an ovulation.

If anovulation is not a suspected cause of infertility, there still are other causes to study. Hysterosalpinography is a procedure in which the fallopian tubes, the conducting portion of female reproductive system are assessed. During the procedure a catheter is inserted to into the uterus and dye is injected. If any obstruction is noted, laparoscopic repair can be done.

A contributing causes of infertility in women is pelvic inflammatory diseases. The most common cause of pelvic inflammatory disease is chlamydial infection. Chlamydial infections are symptom free in women and may be underdiagnosed. The chlamydia causes inflammation in the reproductive tract which can causes adhesions in the organ which interrupts with conception. An antibody blood test can show whether an infection is suspected or not.

Nevertheless, not all couple with infertility are diagnosed with a cause. But there are still treatment options available. It should be known that up to 60% of couples with infertility achieve a spontaneous pregnancy in a course of 3 years.

Intrauterine insemination and in vitro fertilization are other available options. In vitro fertilization is based on artificial mating of ovum and sperm which yields fertilized eggs. Multiple embryos are transformed to the uterus and a pregnancy rate over 50% is gained after 4 cycles of in vitro fertilization trials.