Unexplained infertility is a very common diagnosis, but that doesn’t make it any less frustrating if you are the patient receiving it. Idiopathic means “of unknown cause”, but when a doctor talks about idiopathic male infertility, for example, they have already determined the man is infertile because his semen analysis results were not normal. Unlike the diagnosis of idiopathic female or male infertility, unexplained infertility does not, however, mean that you have no options – There is a reason for hope. By definition, unexplained infertility is a diagnosis of elimination. Your doctor at NCCRM, one of the best infertility clinics Cary NC, has determined you do not have this, this, and this problem, and yet, you’re not able to conceive. As frustrating as it is, with unexplained infertility, the eggs are coming, the sperm are fine, but the couple still isn’t able to get pregnant for reasons unknown.
Possible Explanations Of Unexplained Infertility
With unexplained infertility, there are things that the doctors at NCCRM, one of the best infertility clinics Cary NC, know may cause problems, but they don’t have a way to measure or evaluate yet. Here are some possible explanations for unexplained infertility that we have seen in the past:
- An undiagnosed underlying medical problem that is not a reproductive issue. We don’t completely understand how poor health like diabetes, an undiagnosed thyroid disorder, and some autoimmune illnesses impacts fertility in more subtle, not yet measurable ways. But we are learning more and more.
- The interaction between the vaginal environment and sperm. After ejaculation, sperm must make their way out of the semen and into the cervical mucus. Then, they must swim up from the vagina, into the cervical opening, and eventually into the uterus. Sometimes, there may be problems during that transition period where antibodies in the cervical mucus or in the semen attack the sperm, which is known as hostile cervical mucus. Since it is unclear how to effectively diagnose this problem, cases like these frequently go unexplained.
- Poor egg quality. There is no test to determine whether the eggs in a woman’s ovaries are good quality. Poor quality eggs may be caused by age, an underlying medical condition, or some yet unknown cause.
- Poor sperm quality. There may be issues related to sperm quality that are not obvious during semen analysis. For example, the sperm may have poorer quality DNA. These DNA issues increase as a man ages, which is why children of older fathers are at an increased risk for certain birth disorders and mental health problems.
NCCRM
If your doctor diagnoses you or a loved one with unexplained infertility and tells you that “you just need more time,” you may want to consider a second opinion. While this is true for some couples, and can be good advice in some situations, it’s not so for everyone. The doctors at NCCRM, one of the best infertility clinics Cary NC, will gladly meet with you to discuss your options further. Contact us today to learn more!
