Unexplained Infertility
1 in 10 Experiencing infertility will be diagnosed with unexplained infertility!
Some couples are infertile even when we are unable to define the cause of their infertility. When all available tests show that the reproductive system of both the partners is normal, that is semen analysis is adequate, ovulatory functions are normal, no problem is detected inhysterosalpingogram or laparoscopy, we call it unexplained infertility. Just a few years ago unexplained infertility was reported in upto 60% of patients. Recently its prevalence is reported between 10 to 15%. The diagnosis of unexplained infertility can be highly frustrating for the couple because they may consider that as no cause of their infertility could be found, thereby meaning that doctor does not have any effective treatment for their problem. It is very important to know that the unexplained infertility is a diagnosis of exclusion. This does not mean that the couple does not have any cause for their infertility but merely that we, presently, are unable to tell the cause of their not conceiving.

This problem may arise due to any of the following causes:
- The egg may experience difficulty in disengaging from the ovaries.
- The sperm may not live long enough to travel to fallopian tubes to fertilize egg.
- The woman may produce antidote which may kill the sperm on their way to fallopian tubes.
- The zonapellucida of the egg may be thick enough for the sperm to penetrate.
Fortunately, even if we do not know the exact cause of couple’s infertility, we can treat the couple with good success rates. Sequentially the main treatment methodologies are:
- Intrauterine Insemination (IUI)
- InvitroFertilization and Embryo Transfer (IVF-ET)
- Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection(ICSI)
These procedures are discussed in detail in the later sections.