Infertility is a condition where you can’t get pregnant after one year of trying to conceive. Causes of infertility can include ovulatory disorders, endometriosis, low sperm count or low testosterone. The risk of infertility increases as you age. Many treatment options are available for people with infertility.

How is infertility treated?

Treatment for infertility depends mostly on the cause and your goals. Your age, how long you’ve been trying to conceive and your personal preferences are factors in deciding on a treatment. Sometimes, one person needs treatment, but other times, treatment involves both partners.

In most cases, women and couples with infertility have a high chance of pregnancy. Things like medication, surgery or assisted reproductive technology (ART) can help. Often, lifestyle changes or improving the frequency and timing of intercourse can improve your chances of pregnancy. Treatment can also include a combination of methods.

Infertility treatment for women

Treatments for infertility in women include:

• Lifestyle modification: Gaining or losing weight, stopping smoking or using drugs, and improving other health conditions can improve your chance of pregnancy.
  
  
• Medications: Fertility drugs stimulate your ovaries to ovulate more eggs, which increases your chance of getting pregnant.
  
  
• Surgery: Surgery can open blocked fallopian tubes and remove polyps, fibroids or scar tissue.
  
  

Providers may make suggestions on how you can improve your odds of conceiving. These may include things like:

• Tracking ovulation through basal body temperature, using a fertility tracking app and noting the texture of your cervical mucus.
  
  
• Using a home ovulation kit, a kit you can purchase at the drug store or online to help predict ovulation.
•  

Infertility treatment for men

Treatments for infertility in men include:

• Medications: Medications can raise testosterone or other hormone levels. There are also drugs for erectile dysfunction to help you maintain an erection during sex.
  
  
• Surgery: Some men need surgery to open blockages in the tubes that carry sperm or to repair structural problems. Varicocele surgery can make sperm healthier and improve the odds of conception.