Fertility

• Around 30 per cent of fertility problems originate in the woman.
• Female fertility problems include failure to ovulate, blockages in the fallopian tubes, and abnormalities of the uterus such as fibroids and endometriosis.
• Treatment options include surgery, hormone therapy and IVF.

New life begins when an egg from a woman is fertilised by sperm from a man. Ovulation occurs around 14 days before the start of the menstrual period, when an egg (ovum) is released from one of the ovaries.

The egg is swept into the nearby fallopian tube and ushered towards the uterus (womb). If the egg is fertilised on its journey, it lodges in the womb lining (endometrium). Pregnancy then begins.

The odds of a young fertile couple conceiving by having sexual intercourse around the time of ovulation are approximately one in five every month. A couple isn’t considered to have fertility problems until they have tried and failed to conceive for one year.

Approximately 20 per cent of couples experience fertility difficulties. In most cases, the couple can be helped with assisted reproductive technologies.

Around 30 per cent of fertility problems in couples originate in the woman. Another 30 per cent originate in the man and 30 per cent is found in both partners. No cause is found in around one in 10 couples investigated for infertility. This is called ‘unexplained’ or ‘idiopathic infertility.