Women who’ve been attempting pregnancy for 1 year, or for 6 months if over 35 years of age, may seek care for infertility. This describes 1 in 7 of women in the United States. In addition to difficulty getting pregnant, many women also struggle with pregnancy loss, they cannot stay pregnant to deliver a child. The diagnosis and treatment of infertility problems is often confusing. Unlike other illnesses which have a linear stepwise approach to testing and diagnosis, infertility involves two patients and multiple reasons that must be simultaneously addressed. Infertility can be emotionally devastating, particularly when month after month of negative pregnancy tests are seen.

Often patients are prescribed fertility treatments with no precise diagnosis or plan and with limited follow up. When women are unsuccessful and don’t conceive, they may be referred for IVF to a reproductive endocrinologist. This skips over many intermediate steps that are less costly and easier for patients. With the right diagnosis, education and treatment many women will conceive prior to pursuing IVF.  Although knowing when to accelerate to IVF is key.  Many women struggle for much longer than 6-12 months with ineffective and inconsistent care.  By the time they reach a specialist, age becomes a barrier to success, knowing when to move IVF before the loss of eggs is critical to achieving success.  

This website discusses some of the more common causes and Dr. Coussons is available to review records, order additional testing, and make treatment recommendations that often do not require travel to see him. In addition to successful treatment, many causes of infertility raise long-term health risks and must be addressed to improve your health long after childbearing. Problems such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, high cholesterol, and endometrial cancer are seen in a higher percentage of patients that were treated for infertility.