What are the most common causes of infertility in women?
And in men: A. In my practice, there is a fairly even division between female and male factor infertility, with about 40 percent of couples having a female reason, another 40 percent having a male reason, and the remaining 20 percent having no identifiable cause for the infertility. This latter category, the so-called unexplained infertility remains the most difficult in clinical practice although there still can be effective treatment options to discuss for these patients. For women, problems in ovulation caused by polycystic ovary syndrome and other hormone imbalances make up a major part of female infertility. Tubal disease associated with infection, endometriosis or previous pelvic surgery is also an important consideration. I also see occasional patients with thyroid or pituitary problems, although these are less common. A low (or zero) sperm count can be a complete surprise, especially when the male is in otherwise good general health. Of course, a man who has already had a vasec
