Infertility

Infertility Treatment at Mayo Clinic

Difficulty conceiving a child is not uncommon. It's estimated that about 7 million couples each year in the United States are unable to become pregnant without medical assistance. With some help, there is hope.

"We have state of the art technology, equipment and laboratories to provide sophisticated, quality treatment."
- Dean Morbeck, Ph.D.

Turning to Mayo Clinic may be a good choice. Mayo Clinic's Reproductive Endocrinology Program is nationally recognized for its successful pregnancy rates. Since 1983, Mayo Clinic has helped thousands of people start or extend their families. Our highly trained specialists in Reproductive Endocrinology are leaders in their fields and have achieved and maintained pregnancy rates in the highest national ranges for all of our assisted-reproductive services. Mayo patients are frequently among the first to benefit from the latest advances in treating infertility.

An Empathetic and Caring Environment

Our team gives comprehensive, unhurried care, with compassion, trust and respect. Staff collaborate to provide services in one location, streamlining communication and facilitating medical care that is thorough and efficient. Many experts work together towards one goal – helping each patient realize the dream of becoming a parent.

Individualized treatment plans are determined based on patients' needs and preferences. During a careful evaluation, Mayo staff explain patients' options, answer their questions, and help them decide which treatment is best. Our professionals know the physical and emotional stresses that patients experience, and we address these issues with understanding and discretion.

Diagnosis

An infertility evaluation starts with a thorough history and physical examination. It is important that the male partner be evaluated during the initial workup. Learn more about infertility diagnosis.

"At Mayo Clinic, you will receive the most advanced medical treatment available, offered in an empathetic and caring environment."
- Elizabeth Stewart, M.D.

Treatment Options

Mayo Clinic offers a full range of services to treat complex problems related to infertility. Our program achieves high success rates while limiting the number of embryos transferred to avoid multiple births (twins or triplets). Learn more about infertility treatment options.

About Infertility

A woman under 35 years old is considered infertile if no conception occurs after one year of unprotected intercourse. This time frame is shortened to six months in females 35 or older. A male is considered infertile if he does not produce and deliver enough quality sperm to initiate a pregnancy.

Infertility is caused by one of four conditions:

• The inability to produce healthy sperm or eggs.
• The failure of healthy sperm and eggs to come into close physical proximity, thus preventing fertilization.
• The inability of the fertilized egg to successfully attach to the uterine lining.
• The inability to carry a pregnancy to term.

The causes of infertility can also be divided into categories.

• Male factor is a component in more than 40 percent of cases.
• Tubal disease (obstruction): 25 percent
• Ovarian dysfunction (failure to ovulate): 20 percent
• Cervical factor (sperm can't effectively pass the cervix): 5 percent
• Uterine abnormalities: less than 1 percent
• Unexplained: 10 percent

Read more about treatment of infertility
at MayoClinic.com
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