The ASRM Patient Fact Sheet is a series produced under the direction of the ASRM Patient Education Committee and the Publications Committee.
These fact sheets may be printed and distributed to patients to enhance patient education as long as the text is not altered and proper credit must be attributed to ASRM. Additional copies of booklets can be purchased in the ASRM Store.
Some Patient Education Fact Sheets are available en Español and 中文版本.
Posted Feb 24, 2017
Abnormal uterine bleeding occurs when either the frequency or quantity of uterine bleeding differs from that mentioned above or the woman has spotting or bleeding between her menstrual periods.
Posted Feb 28, 2017
Sometimes the uterus and fallopian tubes may not form like they should. These malformations are called müllerian anomalies or defects. Müllerian anomalies may make it difficult or impossible to become pregnant.
Posted Feb 28, 2017
Acupuncture is an alternative medical treatment that involves placing very thin needles at different points on the body.
Posted Feb 28, 2017
For many infertile couples, making the decision to adopt can be just as hard as undergoing fertility treatment.
Posted Feb 28, 2017
Generally, reproductive potential decreases as women get older, and fertility can be expected to end 5 to 10 years before menopause.
Posted Feb 28, 2017
Ovulation is the release of an egg from a woman’s ovaries and is essential for getting pregnant.
Posted Feb 28, 2017
Vaccines can help prevent serious complications during pregnancy.
Posted Feb 28, 2017
While the embryo develops, it is surrounded by cells that make up a protective shell (zona pellucida). The embryo naturally breaks out of this shell as it grows. Occasionally, the doctor may ask the laboratory to make a small “crack” in the outer shell of the embryo right before it is placed into the woman’s body (assisted hatching).
Posted Feb 28, 2017
This booklet will help you understand in vitro fertilization (IVF) and other assisted reproductive technology (ART) that have become accepted medical treatments for infertility.
Posted Feb 28, 2017
Third-party reproduction is an arrangement where a person or couple receives help from other(s) to have a child. This help can be in the form of donated eggs, sperm, or embryos; carrying the pregnancy; or a combination of these types of reproductive assistance.
Posted Mar 09, 2017
Bioidentical hormones are hormones made from plants that mimic hormones your body produces.
Posted Mar 09, 2017
As women get older, they may encounter difficulty getting pregnant (conceiving) with a healthy baby. Women are born with about 1-2 million eggs. Most of the eggs die off naturally (just like the way we lose skin and hair cells every day).
Posted Mar 09, 2017
There are many psychological, social, and economic issues associated with multiple pregnancies.
Posted Mar 09, 2017
Surgery can be used to treat problems with your ovaries or fallopian tubes such as cysts, endometriosis or infections. Adnexal surgery involves any of the organs that are on the sides of (“next to”) the uterus (womb), such as the fallopian tubes and ovaries.
Posted Mar 10, 2017
More lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) individuals and couples are deciding to have children. Many of these individuals and couples choosing to build a family through assisted reproductive technology (ART) have concerns about how to best nurture and protect their children.
Posted Mar 09, 2017
CBRC is traveling from where you live to another country to obtain reproductive services and treatment.
Posted Mar 09, 2017
Infertility is “the inability to conceive after 12 months of unprotected intercourse.”
Posted Mar 09, 2017
An evaluation of a woman for infertility is appropriate for women who have not become pregnant after having 12 months of regular, unprotected intercourse.
Posted Mar 09, 2017
When a couple has trouble having a baby, there's about a 50-50 chance that the man has a problem contributing to the pregnancy.
Posted Mar 10, 2017
“Dilation and curettage” (D&C) is a short surgical procedure that removes tissue from your uterus (womb). You may need this procedure if you have unexplained or abnormal bleeding, or if you have delivered a baby and placental tissue remains in your womb.
Posted Mar 10, 2017
A woman’s age is one of the most important factors affecting whether she is able to conceive and give birth to a healthy child. This is due to several changes that are a natural part of aging.
Posted Mar 10, 2017
An ectopic pregnancy is any pregnancy that grows outside of the uterus (womb). In a normal pregnancy, the egg meets the sperm (is fertilized) in the fallopian tube and the embryo (fertilized egg) travels through the tube to the uterus.
Posted Mar 10, 2017
The diagnosis of an ectopic pregnancy is usually unexpected and is often emotionally traumatic. Many women may have only recently discovered they were pregnant when they receive the diagnosis.
Posted Mar 10, 2017
Egg donation is when a woman (donor) gives her eggs to another woman (recipient) to allow the recipient to have a baby. To donate eggs, the donor must be given medications that will cause her to develop multiple eggs over a single cycle.
Posted Mar 10, 2017
In the current practice of in vitro fertilization (IVF), some patients may create more embryos (fertilized eggs) than they need. The extra embryos may be cryopreserved (frozen) so that they can be transferred later.
Posted Mar 10, 2017
Endometrial ablation is a medical procedure that removes the lining of the uterus, called the endometrium.
Posted Mar 10, 2017
Women with endometriosis may experience infertility, pelvic pain, or both.
Posted Mar 10, 2017
Endometriosis is when tissue is found outside the uterus that appears similar to the lining of the uterus (endometrium).
Posted Mar 10, 2017
When tissue like the tissue that normally lines the inside of the uterus (endometrium) is found outside the uterus, it is termed “endometriosis.”
Posted Mar 10, 2017
If you haven’t been able to get pregnant after trying for 6 months, some tests can be done to help find the reason. Your doctor may test your hormone levels, your partner’s sperm, and your reproductive organs (ovaries, fallopian tubes, and uterus [womb]).
Posted Mar 10, 2017
Yes! New technology lets your doctor remove and freeze eggs, fertilized eggs (embryos), or ovarian tissue before treating your cancer. This way, you may be able to have children after your treatment.
Posted Mar 10, 2017
Infertility treatments that cause multiple eggs to develop make it more likely that you will become pregnant with twins, triplets, or more. This is called multiple gestation.
Posted Mar 10, 2017
Vasectomy is currently one of the most common methods of sterilization in the United States. After your vasectomy, if you change your mind about having children, there are two procedures that can help you have a child with your partner.
Posted Mar 10, 2017
Can a fertility program or clinic deny treatment to patient(s) if there is concern about the ability to care for the child(ren)? Yes. Fertility programs can withhold services if there are signs that patients will not be able to care for child(ren).
Posted Mar 10, 2017
Uterine fibroids are benign (noncancerous) tumors of muscle tissue in the uterus. They are also called myomas or leiomyomas.
Posted Mar 10, 2017
Gamete and embryo donation is using eggs, sperm, or embryos from someone else in order to help an intended parent(s) have a child. Intended parent is the term used for the person(s) who will raise the child(ren).
Posted Mar 10, 2017
Gamete donation is giving sperm, eggs, both, or embryos to another person/couple so that another person/couple may have a child. This offers patients the opportunity to have child(ren) when sperm and/or eggs or both are not healthy enough to lead to successful pregnancy.
Posted Mar 10, 2017
Birth defects, which occur in nearly one in 20 pregnancies, range in severity from minor anatomic abnormalities to extensive genetic disorders or mental retardation. Some couples have a greater than average risk of having a child with a birth defect.
Posted Mar 10, 2017
A gestational carrier (GC), also called a gestational surrogate, is an arrangement where a woman carries and delivers a child for another couple or person (intended parent[s]). When using a GC, the eggs used to make the embryos do not come from the carrier.
Posted Mar 10, 2017
Hirsutism is the excessive growth of facial or body hair on women.
Posted Mar 10, 2017
Hormonal contraceptives contain a progestin (progesterone medicine) with or without an estrogen. Both progestin and estrogen are made in a laboratory and are similar to the hormones that all women naturally produce.
Posted Mar 10, 2017
The fallopian tubes are attached to the uterus (womb) on the left and right sides. Normally, the fallopian tube picks up an egg as it is released (ovulated) from the ovary each month, and this is usually where sperm and egg meet.
Posted Mar 10, 2017
Prolactin is a hormone produced by your pituitary gland which sits at the bottom of the brain. Prolactin causes breasts to grow and develop and causes milk to be made after a baby is born.
Posted Mar 10, 2017
Hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid) is when the thyroid gland produces less thyroid hormone than it should. The thyroid gland is found in the lower part of the throat and partially wraps around the upper windpipe (trachea).
Posted Mar 10, 2017
A hysterosalpingogram or HSG is an x-ray procedure used to see whether the fallopian tubes are patent (open) and if the inside of the uterus (uterine cavity) is normal. HSG is an outpatient procedure that usually takes less than 5 minutes to perform.
Posted Mar 10, 2017
Infertility is typically defined as the inability to achieve pregnancy after one year of unprotected intercourse.
Posted Mar 10, 2017
Infertility is a medical condition that touches all aspects of your life. It may affect your relationships with others, your perspective on life, and how you feel about yourself. How you deal with these feelings will depend on your personality and life experiences.
Posted Mar 10, 2017
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common reproductive disorder, affecting 5% to10% of women of reproductive age. Women with PCOS have a number of conditions that may include irregular menstrual cycles, an increase in facial and body hair, increased weight, and infertility.
Posted Nov 06, 2018
Injury to and/or infection of the endometrium may damage the lining and cause formation of adhesions (scar tissue) between the inner walls of the uterus where the walls abnormally adhere or stick to each other. Asherman syndrome is a term used to describe adhesions inside the uterus.
Posted Mar 12, 2017
Birth control methods are different in how well they work. Each birth control method has its own risks. There are also risks that happen when the birth control method is not used correctly.
Posted Mar 10, 2017
Posted Mar 10, 2017
Posted Mar 10, 2017
Posted Mar 10, 2017
This can be confusing since the terms are often used interchangeably in the media and casual conversation. However, they are very different.
Posted Mar 10, 2017
Posted Mar 10, 2017
Many women have pain in their pelvis (lower part of the belly) from time to time, usually during their period. However, if you have daily pelvic pain, it could be a sign of a bigger problem with your bladder, bowels, reproductive organs, or pelvic muscles.
Posted Mar 10, 2017
Posted Mar 12, 2017
The menopausal transition (perimenopause) is the period that links a woman’s reproductive (childbearing) years and menopause. A woman is said to be in menopause if she has had no menstrual periods for 1 year.
Posted Mar 10, 2017
Surgery is termed “minimally invasive” if it uses small or no incisions (cuts). Surgeons see your body’s organs with the help of small telescopes and cameras. Surgical repairs are made with very small instruments. Most problems can be treated at the time of diagnosis as one procedure.
Posted Mar 10, 2017
Multiple births are much more common today than they were in the past. According to the US Department of Health and Human Services, the twin birth rate has increased by over 75% since 1980, and triplet, quadruplet, and high-order multiple births have increased at an even higher rate.
Posted Mar 10, 2017
Most women will use birth control pills at some time in their lives. But many women don’t know that birth control pills also can be used to treat a variety of female problems and can have some surprising health benefits.
Posted Mar 10, 2017
Despite a large number of contraceptive options available to couples, it is still thought that 50% of pregnancies in the United States are unintended. Therefore, it is important to choose a contraceptive that can be used consistently and correctly.
Posted Mar 10, 2017
Puberty refers to the specific physical changes that happen as a child develops into an adult. Though they happen in different areas of the body, these changes are all related to each other.
Posted Mar 10, 2017
The chance of a normal couple conceiving is 20% to 37% by three months, 75% by six months, and 90% at one year. Of those couples that do not conceive in the first year, as many as 50% will conceive in the next year.
Posted Mar 10, 2017
Posted Mar 10, 2017
Some women may need medicines to help them ovulate (release eggs). This is called ovulation induction and may be done for two reasons.
Posted Mar 10, 2017
Posted Mar 10, 2017
Often, women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) do not have regular menstrual periods. This usually means that a woman doesn’t ovulate (release an egg) every month and may have trouble getting pregnant.
Posted Mar 10, 2017
Ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS) is an excessive response to taking the medicines (especially injectable gonadotropins) used to make eggs grow. Rarely, OHSS can result from taking other medications, such as clomiphene citrate or gonadotropin-releasing hormone.
Posted Mar 10, 2017
A woman’s ability to get pregnant normally decreases as she gets older. In later life, women have fewer eggs, egg quality goes down, and eggs have more abnormalities in their chromosomes (genetic material).
Posted Mar 10, 2017
Ovulation, the release of an egg from its follicle in one of a woman’s two ovaries, is one of the most important factors in conceiving a child. Once ovulated, the egg is picked up by one of the fallopian tubes and begins traveling toward the uterus.
Posted Mar 10, 2017
Polycystic ovary syndrome is a common hormone disorder that affects 5%-10% of women. Like all syndromes, PCOS is a collection of problems that are found together. Not all women with PCOS have all the same symptoms.
Posted Mar 10, 2017
Your embryos can be tested for abnormal chromosomes before they are transferred to the uterus. This is called preimplantation genetic testing, or PGT.
Posted Mar 10, 2017
Progesterone is a hormone produced by the ovary. It is first detected in the middle of the menstrual cycle when an egg is released (ovulation).
Posted Mar 11, 2017
Your reproductive system ages faster than you may realize. Some women, after completing college, settling into a career, or waiting for the right partner, find that they have problems getting pregnant due to age-related infertility.
Posted Mar 11, 2017
Robotic surgery is a form of laparoscopy. Laparoscopy is minimally invasive surgery, usually performed in an outpatient setting.
Posted Mar 11, 2017
Posted Mar 11, 2017
Posted Mar 11, 2017
Gonadotropins are fertility medications given by injection that contain follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) alone or combined with luteinizing hormone (LH). During a regularly occurring menstrual cycle, both FSH and LH are produced by the pituitary gland in the brain to naturally stimulate the ovaries to make a single egg each month.
Posted Mar 11, 2017
Posted Mar 11, 2017
Posted Mar 11, 2017
The most common test of a man’s fertility is a semen analysis. This measures many features of the sperm and semen (the fluid in which the sperm are contained). The most important of these are the number of sperm (sperm count), motility of the sperm (percentage of moving sperm), morphology of the sperm (percentage of normally shaped sperm), and the volume of fluid.
Posted Mar 11, 2017
Stem cells are special cells found in very early stage embryos (i.e., 5 days after fertilization of an egg) and in some types of adult tissue. Stem cells are "undifferentiated" cells (sometimes referred to as "pluripotent").
Posted Mar 11, 2017
It is not clear how exactly stress impacts fertility. It is not known whether high levels of stress can prevent pregnancy or affect a woman’s chance of conceiving.
Posted Feb 21, 2018
There are several reasons a man with a spinal cord injury (SCI) might have infertility. He may not be able to keep an erection long enough to have intercourse or ejaculate (release semen) during orgasm.
Posted Mar 11, 2017
Posted Mar 12, 2017
Posted Mar 13, 2017
Posted Mar 13, 2017
Many women have a miscarriage at one time or another. Miscarriages can happen for many reasons. Having a miscarriage doesn’t mean a woman will have another miscarriage if she tries again.
Posted Mar 13, 2017
Fibroids usually do not require treatment because most patients with fibroids do not have symptoms. Women with fibroids should have regular checkups to determine if the fibroids are changing in size, to track worsening symptoms, and if planning to get pregnant.
Posted Mar 13, 2017
Clinical trials are research studies that test how safe and effective new drugs, treatments, and devices are. Health-care providers find patients with specific characteristics or health problems to test the product.
Posted Mar 13, 2017
A varicocele is a variation of normal anatomy in which veins in the scrotum (the sac that holds the testicles) become enlarged and sometimes even visible. Varicocele usually is first found at puberty and is much more common on the left side than on the right side. Sometimes it occurs on both sides.
Posted Mar 13, 2017
One of the easiest ways to determine if you are underweight or overweight is to calculate your body mass index (BMI). There are many tables available online (search term: BMI table). Enter your height and weight into the tool to see your BMI.
Posted Mar 13, 2017
Uterine fibroids (also called myomas or leiomyomas) are benign (noncancerous) tumors of muscle tissue found in the uterus. They can enlarge and/or distort the uterus (womb) and sometimes the cervix (lower part of the uterus). They grow from the smooth muscle cells in the wall of the uterus.
Posted Mar 13, 2017
If fallopian tube(s) is/are blocked or damaged, this can stop a woman from getting pregnant and increases the risk of becoming pregnant in the fallopian tube (a “tubal” or “ectopic” pregnancy). Surgery may be performed to open or repair blocked or damaged tube(s).
Posted Mar 13, 2017
Turner syndrome (TS) is an infrequent genetic disorder in females. About 1 in every 2,000 female babies born is affected.
Posted Mar 14, 2017
Posted Mar 13, 2017
Women who take fertility medicines to get pregnant have a higher chance of having more than one fetus in a pregnancy. Fetus is the term for developing humans from 11 weeks of pregnancy until birth.
Posted Mar 13, 2017
Before a man’s sperm can fertilize a woman’s egg, the head of the sperm must attach to the outside of the egg. Once attached, the sperm pushes through the outer layer to the inside of the egg (cytoplasm), where fertilization takes place.
Posted Mar 13, 2017
In vitro maturation (IVM) is when a woman’s eggs are collected and matured outside the body. This is done as part of an in vitro fertilization (IVF) procedure.
Posted Mar 13, 2017
Posted Mar 13, 2017
Posted Mar 13, 2017
When a woman undergoes in vitro fertilization (IVF), she is usually given medicines to stimulate her ovaries to develop more than one egg at a time. Typically, all the eggs that are collected are fertilized with sperm.
Posted Mar 14, 2017
These are harmful substances (chemicals, metals, pollutants) found in water, air, soil, foods, and consumer products. You may or may not know that you have been exposed.