FAQs on infertility

FAQs on Infertility from Infertility Clinic.

Q. My husband and I have an active sex life, and my periods are regular. However, we have still not conceived.
A. You need to remember that it's not possible to determine the reason for your infertility until you undergo tests to find out if your husband's sperm count is normal; if your fallopian tubes and uterus are normal; and if you are producing eggs. Only after undergoing these tests will your doctor is able to tell you why you are not conceiving.

Q. My gynecologist has done an internal examination and said I am normal. Do I still need to get tests done to determine why I am not conceiving?
A. A routine gynecological examination does not provide information, such as blocked fallopian tubes or ovulatory disorders. You need a systematic infertility workup.

Q. Do painful periods cause infertility?
A. Painful periods do not affect fertility. In fact, for most patients, regular painful periods usually signal ovulatory cycles. However, progressively worsening pain during periods (especially when this is accompanied by pain during sex) may mean you have endometriosis.

Q. My periods come only once every 6 weeks. Could this be a reason for my infertility?
A. As long as the periods are regular, this means ovulation is occurring. Some normal women have menstrual cycle lengths of as long as 40 days. Of course, since they have fewer cycles every year, the number of times they are "fertile" in a year is decreased. Also, they need to monitor their fertile period more closely, since this is delayed (as compared to women with a 30 day cycle).

Q. After having sex, most of the semen leaks out of my vagina. Could this be a reason for our infertility?
A. As long as the periods are regular, this means ovulation is occurring. Some normal women have menstrual cycle lengths of as long as 40 days. Of course, since they have fewer cycles every year, the number of times they are "fertile" in a year is decreased. Also, they need to monitor their fertile period more closely, since this is delayed (as compared to women with a 30 day cycle).

Q. after having sex, most of the semen leaks out of my vagina. Could this be a reason for our infertility?
A. Loss of seminal fluid after intercourse is perfectly normal, and most women notice some discharge immediately after sex. Many infertile couples imagine that this is the cause of their problem. If your husband ejaculates inside you, then you can be sure that no matter how much semen leaks out afterwards, enough sperm will reach the cervical mucus. In fact, this leakage is a good sign - it means your husband is depositing his semen normally in your vagina.

Q Is psychological barrier is the reason for our infertility.
A. Unlike many other parts of your lives, infertility may be beyond your control. Don't blame yourself if you are not getting pregnant - it's a medical problem which often needs appropriate medical treatment.

Q. Does thick and voluminous semen means it must be normal.
A. Semen consists mainly of seminal fluid, secreted by the seminal vesicles and the prostate. The volume and consistency of the semen is not related to its fertility potential, which depends upon the sperm count. This can only be assessed by microscopic examination.

Q. My uterus is tipped backwards, and this prevents the sperm from swimming into the uterus. He is advising I have surgery to correct this problem. Should I go ahead?
A. About one in five women will have a retroverted uterus. If the uterus is freely mobile, this is normal, and is not a cause of infertility. This is not an indication for surgery.

Q. My husband says we should be having intercourse every day to achieve pregnancy. Is this true?
A. Sperm remain alive and active in woman's cervical mucus for 48-72 hours following sexual intercourse; therefore, it is not true.

Q. My friends say I should have sex exactly on the day I ovulate to get pregnant. How can I do this?
A. Although having sexual intercourse near the time of ovulation is important, no single day is critical. So, don't be concerned if intercourse is not possible or practical on the day of ovulation.

Q. My sister in law is advising me to keep a pillow under my hips during and after intercourse. Will this increase my chances of conceiving?
A. Sperm are already swimming in cervical mucus as sexual intercourse is completed. The position of the hips really doesn't matter.

Q. I just had a HSG done, and this shows my tubes are blocked. I've never had symptoms of a pelvic infection, so how could my tubes get blocked?
A. Many pelvic infections have no symptoms at all, but can cause damage, sometimes irreversibly, to the tubes.

Q. My doctor has advised me to take fertility drugs. I don't want to take them because if I am scared that if I do, then I'll have a multiple births.
A. Although fertility drugs do increase the chance of having a multiple pregnancy the majority of women taking them have singleton births.

Q. My husband's sperm count varies every time we test it! How do we determine what the "real" sperm count is?
A. Even a normal (fertile) man's sperm count can vary considerably from week to week. Sperm count and motility can be affected by many factors, including time between ejaculations, illness, and medications.

Q. All my tests are normal, and yet I can't get pregnant. My doctor says my infertility is "unexplained”! What does this mean? The very fact that I cannot conceive means there must be something wrong!
A. Yes, you are right. Unexplained infertility is simply a confession of our ignorance, and means that our technology is not good enough to be able to identify the problem. For example, a semen analysis can show that your sperm count is normal. However, it tells us nothing about the functional competence of the sperm - whether they are able to fertilise the egg or not. In any case, I feel the question should NOT be "Why am I not getting pregnant?” Rather, it should be - What can I do in order to get pregnant?" After all, no one cares about problems - we only care about results - about having a baby! Fortunately, our technology for solving problems (by bypassing them in the IVF lab) is much better than our technology for identifying them - and perhaps this is just as well. This means that rather than waste time trying to pinpoint the problem, we can just bypass it altogether.

Q. My semen analysis report shows I have no sperm in the semen (azoospermia). Is this because I used to masturbate excessively as a boy?
A. Masturbation is a normal activity which most boys and men indulge in. It does not affect the sperm count. You cannot "run" out of sperms, because these are constantly being produced in the testes.

Q. My wife is frigid and does not enjoy having sex. Could this be the reason for her infertility?
A. There is no connection between sexual pleasure and fertility. Don't forget that even a woman who gets raped can get pregnant! And don't forget that the commonest reason women do not enjoy sex is because their husbands are unskilled lovers. Maybe you should improve your sexual technique, and spend more time in foreplay and in pleasuring your wife.

Q. Can I talk to any of your patients?
A. Yes, you can. Some of our patients have kindly agreed to act as "email buddies" and will be happy to talk to you by email & telephonic conversation.

Q. Could you recommend a place for us to stay that is close to your clinic?
A. There is a list of hotels.

Q. If a cycle of IVF fails, what should be the time gap that needs to be given before we try again?
A. at least a month.

Q. If I decide to stay there until we confirm the pregnancy with an ultrasound, Is it safe for me to fly back after that during my first trimester?
A. Yes, this is fine too.