Do you really know for certain that female infertility is the reason why you are battling to conceive? Has your husband been examined?
It is all too common to hear from women who, after reporting to their GP they have been trying to conceive for more than a year, are then swept up into the into the rollercoaster ride that is IVF before they have time to blink. All the focus on conceiving is then more likely fixed on the woman. As a consequence, only a range of gynaecological options are considered. In the mad rush to conceive, often the male is overlooked or if not, only offered very little investigation. It is common practice for IVF clinics to rely on ICSI to circumvent male fertility shortcomings.
Did you realise that 20% of infertility is due to male related problems? Did you also know that 50% of these male related problems are treatable? The most common andrological (male reproductive) problems include testicular lumps, low testosterone, erectile dysfunction and ejaculatory problems. More often than not, male infertility is less invasive, cheaper and more successful.
Often lifestyle changes are all that is needed to improve male infertility. These changes include refraining from smoking, alcohol and caffeine, as well as to start to eat healthily and increase exercise.
If your husband has been overlooked and you are having no success with your fertility treatments, ask your GP to refer your husband to an urologist.
