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UNEXPLAINED CAUSES OF INFERTILITY


We speak of unexplained infertility if no medical reason can be found as to why a couple cannot get pregnant.

Typically, a ‘healthy’ couple has a 30 per cent chance of conceiving during each monthly cycle – with regular sexual intercourse up to three times a week. If pregnancy does not occur within 12 months, this does not fit with statistical probability. Unfortunately, around 10 per cent of all couples who cannot get pregnant are in this situation. A visit to the Kinderwunsch Institut Dr Loimer is the right decision in this case.

Women may have a reasonable number of good small follicles on the ultrasound, but the egg quality is too poor to conceive. Semen analysis may not be able to detect any defects, but fertilisation still does not occur. Fallopian tubes may appear open on examination, but still have a minimal dysfunction. Often, endometriosis-related infertility goes undiagnosed, although symptoms such as menstrual pain are a clear indicator of it. Other health problems such as celiac disease (not typically part of an infertility screening) can also affect fertility.

An Australian study by the University of Western Australian in Perth, led by Prof. Roger Hart, has shown that gum disease can have as big a negative impact on fertility as obesity, nicotine or alcohol. The 3,400 study participants tried to get pregnant for different lengths of time. The researchers compared all the data with the state of health of their teeth. The result: 26 per cent of the women suffered from gum disease and took an average of two months longer to conceived than participants with healthy teeth.