Get answers to your female Fertility and Infertility questions.
Pelvic inflammatory disease; Polycystic ovaries
Infertility is the failure of a couple to become pregnant after one year of regular, unprotected intercourse. In both men and women the fertility process is complex.
Infertility affects about 10% of all couples. Even under ideal circumstances, the probability that a woman will get pregnant during a single menstrual cycle is only about 30%. And, when conception does occur, only 50 - 60% of pregnancies advance beyond the 20th week. (The inability of a woman to produce a live birth because of abnormalities that cause miscarriages is called infecundity and is not discussed in detail in this report.)
About a third of infertility problems are due to female infertility, and another third are due to male infertility. In the remaining cases, infertility affects both partners or the cause is unclear. Although this report specifically addresses infertility in women, it is equally important for the male partner to be tested at the same time. [For more information, see In-Depth Report #67: Infertility in men.]
The primary organs and structures in the reproductive system are:
Reproductive Hormones. The hypothalamus (an area in the brain) and the pituitary gland regulate the reproductive hormones.
The pituitary gland is often referred to as the master gland because of its important role in many vital functions, many of which require hormones. In women, six key hormones serve as chemical messengers that regulate the reproductive system:
Ovulation. The process leading to fertility is very intricate. It depends on the healthy interaction of the reproductive organs and hormone systems in both the male and female. In addition, reproduction is limited by the phases of female fertility. Nevertheless, this process results in conception within a year for about 80% of couples. Only 15% conceive within a month of their first attempts, however, and about 60% succeed after 6 months.
A woman's ability to produce children occurs after she enters puberty and begins to menstruate. The process of conception is complex:
LH serves two important roles:
Fertilization. The so-called "fertile window" is 6 days long and starts 5 days before ovulation and ends the day of ovulation. Fertilization occurs as follows:
If the egg is not fertilized, the corpus luteum degenerates into a form called the corpus albicans, and estrogen and progesterone levels drop. Finally, the endometrial lining sloughs off and is shed during menstruation.
Typical Menstrual Cycle
Typical No. of Days
Follicular (Proliferative) Phase
Cycle Days 1 - 6: Beginning of menstruation to end of blood flow.
Estrogen and progesterone start out at their lowest levels.
FSH levels rise to stimulate maturity of follicles. Ovaries start producing estrogen and levels rise, while progesterone remains low.
Cycle Days 7 - 13: The endometrium (the inner lining of the uterus) thickens to prepare for the egg implantation.
Cycle Day 14:
Surge in LH. Largest follicle bursts and releases egg into fallopian tube.
Luteal (Secretory) Phase, also known as the Premenstrual Phase
Cycle Days 15 - 28:
Ruptured follicle develops into corpus luteum, which produces progesterone. Progesterone and estrogen stimulate blanket of blood vessels to prepare for egg implantation.
If fertilization occurs:
Fertilized egg attaches to blanket of blood vessels that supplies nutrients for the developing placenta. Corpus luteum continues to produce estrogen and progesterone.
If fertilization does not occur:
Corpus luteum deteriorates. Estrogen and progesterone levels drop. The blood vessel lining sloughs off and menstruation begins.
Boomsma CM, Keay SD, Macklon NS. Peri-implantation glucocorticoid administration for assisted reproductive technology cycles. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2007 Jan 24;(1):CD005996.
El-Toukhy T, Sunkara SK, Khairy M, Dyer R, Khalaf Y, Coomarasamy A. A systematic review and meta-analysis of acupuncture in in vitro fertilisation. BJOG. 2008 Sep;115(10):1203-13. Epub 2008 Jul 23.
Jain T, Gupta RS. Trends in the use of intracytoplasmic sperm injection in the United States. N Engl J Med. 2007 Jul 19;357(3):251-7.
Jensen A, Sharif H, Svare EI, Frederiksen K, Kjaer SK. Risk of breast cancer after exposure to fertility drugs: results from a large Danish cohort study. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2007 Jul;16(7):1400-7. Epub 2007 Jun 21.
Lee SJ, Schover LR, Partridge AH, Patrizio P, Wallace WH, Hagerty K, et al. American Society of Clinical Oncology recommendations on fertility preservation in cancer patients. J Clin Oncol. 2006 Jun 20;24(18):2917-31.
Manheimer E, Zhang G, Udoff L, Haramati A, Langenberg P, Berman BM, Bouter LM. Effects of acupuncture on rates of pregnancy and live birth among women undergoing in vitro fertilisation: systematic review and meta-analysis. BMJ. 2008 Mar 8;336(7643):545-9. Epub 2008 Feb 7.
Norman RJ, Dewailly D, Legro RS, Hickey TE. Polycystic ovary syndrome. Lancet. 2007 Aug 25;370(9588):685-97.
Shevell T, Malone FD, Vidaver J, Porter TF, Luthy DA, Comstock CH, et al. Assisted reproductive technology and pregnancy outcome. Obstet Gynecol. 2005 Nov;106(5 Pt 1):1039-45.
Thessaloniki ESHRE/ASRM-Sponsored PCOS Consensus Workshop Group. Consensus on infertility treatment related to polycystic ovary syndrome. Fertil Steril. 2008 Mar;89(3):505-22. Epub 2008 Feb 20.
© 2011 University of Maryland Medical Center (UMMC). All rights reserved.
UMMC is a member of the University of Maryland Medical System,
22 S. Greene Street, Baltimore, MD 21201. TDD: 1-800-735-2258 or 1.866.408.6885