Fertility Investigation
The first step in starting your journey or finding out if you need fertility treatment is a Fertility Investigation
Do not worry this is the first step and we are here to help you.
Did you know…Fertility problems can affect both men and women and there are many possible causes of infertility. This can affect around 1 in 5 couples and can be a female or male partner problem.
How Common is Infertility?
It is estimated that one in five couples in the country trying for a child have difficulty conceiving. Around about 30% of infertility cases are attributed to female factors and 30% to male factors. 20% are due to combined male and female factors and 20% of cases remain unexplained.
Age and Fertility
One of the commonest reasons behind a difficulty in starting a family is advancing age. People still feel that they have not yet reached middle age when they, especially women, start to hit the fertility limitations sometimes described as the biological clock. Fertility drops significantly when a woman reaches her mid to late thirties. It is thought that, in evolutionary terms, this is to allow her to survive long enough to raise her family. Modern medicine, hygiene, nutrition and lifestyles have all extended our life expectancy but our fertile years have remained unchanged.
You can Consult a Fertility Specialist anytime, if you are worried, need a second opinion or in a waiting list
If you have been trying without success, or you are not sure if treatment is required you simply need to call our team and book an initial appointment. Our specialists will give you an honest opinion and give you a personliased success rate, it doesn’t matter if you are concerned that your probability of conceiving is reducing, the initial consultation with a fertility specialist will give you all the advice you need to make an informed decision about IVF treatment. We have no waiting lists and can get you an appointment the next day.
Some of the reasons for unexplained fertility…
A third of couples for which no clear explanation can be found despite investigations taking place and all the tests – for both male and female – show normal results. Couples who are said to have ‘unexplained infertility’ can still be treated successfully with the help of fertility treatment.
There are also a number of key factors which do affect fertility in both men and women:
- Age – female and male fertility to a lesser extent does decline with age. This is particularly so for women whose fertility starts to decline after the age of 35.
- Weight – being overweight or obese reduces your fertility. We recommend a BMI of under 30 to give you an optimal chance of success. We do however treat women with a BMI up to 35.
- Smoking – can affect chances of conceiving in women and reduce semen quality in men. We recommend that you have given up smoking for at least three months before trying to conceive.
- Alcohol – the safest approach for women is not to drink if planning to get pregnant and for men too much alcohol can affect sperm quality.
- Stress – in severe cases can affect ovulation and sperm production. In lesser a loss of sex drive. We do however understand that infertility and undergoing fertility treatment can be a stressful time. Our monthly support group and counselling is available for all our patients.
