Infertility, or the inability to get pregnant after one year of trying to conceive, is a problem that affects approximately 1 in 6 couples at some stage in their lives.
When couples have difficulty conceiving or carrying a pregnancy to term, they want a diagnosis and a solution to their problem. Unfortunately, in some cases, the causes of infertility may remain unknown which may result in a diagnosis of so called “unexplained infertility”. The good news is that individuals and couples affected by unexplained infertility can become pregnant!
What Is Unexplained Infertility?
Unexplained infertility is the inability to conceive after one year of trying in couples with normal fertility test results. Although this condition can be a source of anxiety for many patients, believe it or not, unexplained infertility is not that uncommon in the reproductive practice as you might think.
If you have been diagnosed with unexplained infertility, it does not mean that you can’t conceive. Our fertility clinic in North Cyprus offers a wide range of fertility treatments that successfully address the problems causing unexplained infertility.
Reasons For Unexplained Infertility
Some of the reasons that can potentially lead to unexplained diagnosis are:
- Undiagnosed illness: Some health issues can impact fertility in more subtle ways. For example, if untreated Celiac disease may lead to infertility. Other medical conditions that may cause infertility include diabetes, an undiagnosed thyroid disorder, and some autoimmune diseases.
- Mild endometriosis: In some cases, endometriosis may not generate obvious symptoms, but can affect ovarian function in women.
- Unfavorable vaginal environment: For fertilization to occur, sperm must swim up from the vagina, into the cervix, and eventually into the uterus. Sometimes, the cervical mucus can obstruct the movement of the sperm in the female reproductive tract. In other cases, the sperm may be attacked by antibodies found in the semen itself.
- Poor egg quality: There is no test that can determine the quality of the female eggs. Poor egg quality is common in patients of advanced reproductive age or patients with an underlying medical condition that affects their fertility. Poor egg quality can be diagnosed during IVF treatment in Cyprus by evaluating collected eggs under a microscope.
- Poor sperm quality: Sperm issues such as DNA fragmentation (separation of DNA strands) or poor quality DNA may lead to an increased risk of birth defects. The quality of the sperm is usually determined during IVF procedures.
- Endometrial conditions: Failure of th eembryo to implant into the wall of the uterus (endometrium) can result in miscarriage. There are certain issues or viruses that can reduce endometrial receptivity.
- Embryonic cause: In some instances, embryos may fail to grow due to some inherent causes. This can be diagnosed with PGS Cyprus (Preimplantation genetic screening) or PGD Cyprus (Preimplantation genetic diagnosis) testing.
Diagnosis Of Unexplained Infertility
A woman is diagnosed with unexplained infertility if she cannot conceive after one year of trying and no abnormality in her reproductive systme has been found. This means that all fertility tests show normal results such as:
- Ovulation is normal, and no ovulation disorder has been discovered.
- A pelvic exam shows no signs of disorders of the uterus, fallopian tubes or ovaries.
- All fertility tests show a good ovarian reserve.
- The hysterosalpingogram (HSG) shows a normal uterine cavity and fallopian tubes.
- The semen analysis shows no abnormalities in the semen.
Unexplained infertility is established once your doctor has used all standard testing options. Women with this diagnosis may not have any problem with ovulation or their reproductive system in general. Most often they have a good ovarian reserve and no fertility issue. The male partner can also get normal test results.
How To Overcome Unexplained Infertility
The first step in treating infertility using IVF is to undergo fertility testing. This involves:
- Hormone blood tests to measure the level of AMH, TSH, and Prolactin
- Laboratory test for HIV and Hepatitis B and C
- A transvaginal ultrasound scan to assess the ovarian reserve and detect abnormalities of the uterus
The male partner is required to have the following tests:
- Laboratory test for HIV and Hepatitis B and C
- Sperm analysis
Depending on a patient’s infertility history and whether they have done previous IVF cycles, we may ask for additional tests. Based on the test results, an appropriate treatment plan will be advised. Along with the treatment, certain lifestyle changes may be recommended including weight loss, quitting smoking, and abstention from alcohol.
IVF treatment in Cyprus is a viable option for couples who suffer from unexplained infertility. This assisted reproduction technique has the highest success rate compared to the other methods of treatment. Our IVF treatments are tailored to your needs and are designed to be gentler on the body than conventional treatment.
IVF For Unexplained Infertility
IVF is a commonly used treatment that can successfully circumvent issues considered to be causes of unexplained infertility, such as ovarian dysfunction, cervical factors, and problems with sperm-egg interaction and fertilization. Pregnancy rates with IVF approach 70 percent, making it a favorable option for many patients who desperately want a child.
During IVF in Cyprus, the woman’s ovaries are stimulated using hormone injections. These injections contain hormones that regulate the growth and development of follicles/eggs in the ovaries. After the eggs reach full maturity, they will be retrieved and fertilized with the sperm in the laboratory using ICSI Cyprus (intracytoplasmic sperm injection). On day three or five embryos will be transferred to the patient’s uterus.
Will IVF Work For Unexplained Infertility?
IVF in North Cyprus has proven to be the most successful treatment for most couples diagnosed with unexplained infertility. IVF gives couples the best chance of controlling the factors that influence or determine pregnancy success. IVF maximizes reproductive efficiency and is a safer conception method compared to other options. IVF treatment reduces the risk of multiple gestation by controlling the number of embryos that are placed into the uterus. It also minimizes the risk of miscarriage by selecting only the best-looking embryos that are graded the highest. Embryos are closely monitored and assessed for quality before being transferred. Sometimes, they can be screened using PGS (preimplantation genetic screening) or PGD (preimplantation genetic diagnosis) testing to identify chromosomal or genetic abnormalities within the embryos. Finally, IVF provides couples with extended family building options when extra good-quality embryos are frozen.
Often the subtle causes of unexplained infertility can be detected during your IVF treatment in Cyprus. A good ovarian reserve alone is not a guarantee for pregnancy success. IVF in Cyprus can help patients identify causes of infertility related to their egg or sperm quality. Retrieved eggs and sperm are carefully examined under powerful microscopes and properly evaluated for assisted reproduction purposes. If there are implications that the eggs and sperm are not interacting properly, IVF can help overcome this problem using the ICSI method of fertilization. Unexplained infertility may be caused by poor embryo quality or problems with the uterus (endometrium) that can be identified only with IVF. These diagnostic benefits of IVF can help couples detect and treat those factors that interfere with fertility and pregnancy.
Chances Of Getting Pregnant With Unexplained Infertility
IVF success rates depend on a number of variables that are different for each patient. At euroCARE IVF in North Cyprus, 8 out of 10 patients are achieving a positive pregnancy result. The average pregnancy success rate for women under 35 is between 65% and 75%. Women aged 35-45 have a 35 to 55 percent chance of falling pregnant with their own eggs. For this reason, women in this age group and women older than 40 may be advised to use donor eggs provided by young donors from our program.
IVF for Unexplained Infetility at euroCARE IVF
If you have been given the diagnosis of unexplained infertility, keep being positive. Connect with our fertility specialist to see what treatment plan might work best for you. Patients with unexplained infertility still have a good chance of reaching a successful pregnancy thanks to the advanced assisted reproduction treatments offer at the euroCARE IVF in North Cyprus.Resources: