When the couple finds themselves infertile

Infertility of a couple is defined by doctors as the absence of pregnancy after 1 year of unprotected intercourse.

If the woman is close to 40, however, this time tends to shorten and it is best to start carrying out specific tests after the first 6 months.

The causes of infertility can be numerous and affect both partners: approximately 50% depend on the woman and equally on the man.

There can be only one cause or more than one at the same time.

The main reasons in women concern the lack of ovulation as often occurs in Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, the closure or malfunction of the tubes, endometriosis which acts in various ways on the reproductive system, uterine anomalies, infections, hormonal dysfunctions (e.g. thyroid) and then there are rarer causes such as genetic ones.

Sometimes even stressful conditions can make starting or continuing a pregnancy difficult.

In humans we can find varicocele, infections, anomalies of the seminal tract, cryptorchidism, hormonal dysfunctions and more rarely genetic causes as causes of infertility.

These and other pathological conditions generally manifest themselves as anomalies in the spermiogram.

Quite often (about 15% of couples) the cause of infertility is not found despite carrying out all the required tests.

Finally, multiple abortions, i.e. the involuntary interruption of 2 or 3 pregnancies, does not lead to the birth of a child and affects approximately 1% of couples.

The tests that a couple should perform when pregnancy is delayed are a spermiogram for the man, while for the woman it is necessary to perform hormonal tests, ultrasound of the uterus and ovaries (with the count of antral follicles to evaluate the ovarian reserve), hysterosonosalpingography, vaginal bacterial swabs, hysteroscopy.

Naturally, it is decided specifically by the couple which tests to carry out before and which after.

The evaluation of the stressful conditions experienced by the couple and in particular by the woman faced with the infertility problem should be an integral part of the diagnostic tests both because they can be a source of infertility and because therapies and reproductive success can be influenced by them.

All these tests in the couple can be performed in 1-2 months if the doctor or center organizes them in the best possible way.

In this way, if the cause or more than one has been identified, it is possible to quickly move on to therapy which can concern the woman, the man or both.

The therapies can be numerous: hormonal, surgical, antibiotics, Medically Assisted Procreation (PMA) and also with psychological support which in our experience is very important in some cases.