Patients

Almost everyone arrives here after months of trying, with the same question: is something wrong with me?. This section answers it in order, taking nothing for granted.

First: Sterility Is Not the Same as Infertility

In the consultation these terms are used precisely, and it's worth knowing why, because it changes the approach. Sterility means not achieving pregnancy after a reasonable amount of time trying. Infertility means achieving pregnancy but not carrying it to term, with recurrent miscarriage. They are different paths, and they are investigated differently.

The Journey, Step by Step

• When to see a specialist. How long it's reasonable to wait, and which signs mean you shouldn't wait at all.
• The first visit. What happens, what's worth bringing, and what you leave the consultation with.
• Treatment. Only once there's a diagnosis, and starting with the simplest step that makes sense.

Both of You Are Investigated

When there's a partner, the work-up covers both of you from the start, and not out of courtesy: the cause is spread roughly evenly between the female and male factors, and in some cases there's something on each side, or nothing found on either. Studying only one partner adds months to the diagnosis.

• What can go wrong for her: ovulation, the tubes, the uterus.
• What can go wrong for him: semen quality and the ability to deliver it.

And if there's no male partner — single women and female couples — the work-up on your side is the same, with the difference that the sperm comes from a donor.

One More Thing About Time

In fertility, the calendar works against you, especially past 35. That doesn't mean rushing: it means not letting months go by doing nothing while you decide whether to see a specialist. An initial assessment commits you to no treatment, and it does tell you where you stand.

Book your first consultation whenever you're ready.