No, infertility can be due to both male and female factors. Approximately one third of infertility cases are due to the male only, one third due to the female only, and one third due to a combination. However, often no obvious cause can be identified (unexplained infertility) but there are treatments and options, no matter what the cause of the fertility issue is.
There are a number of factors that can increase the risk of infertility in both sexes. These factors include older age, smoking, excess alcohol consumption, diet, being overweight or underweight, sexually transmitted infections (STIs), ovulation problems such as polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) and sperm DNA damage. Part of our fertility consultations will include a discussion about how to improve your natural fertility.
A surrogate, or gestational carrier, is a woman who carries a pregnancy for another individual or couple. In NSW, any legal adult woman may offer to be a surrogate but Australian laws require there to be no financial incentive for this. That means the surrogate must volunteer and not be paid for her involvement other than reimbursement for the costs of any related medical treatments.
Semen or seminal fluid is the fluid containing sperm that a male produces when he ejaculates.
The symptoms of a miscarriage may include either light or heavy vaginal bleeding, pelvic cramps, abdominal pain, a persistent dull ache in your lower back, or blood clots passing from the vagina. It’s hard to tell if a miscarriage is occurring as it’s not a single event, but a sequence of events that occur over several days. Symptoms will vary from one woman to another. Blood tests and ultrasound scans can help make the diagnosis.
Unfortunately, a significant proportion of pregnancy losses have no identifiable cause. For those where we can pinpoint an underlying reason, miscarriage causes may include blood clotting disorders, lifestyle factors including alcohol consumption or the use of recreational drugs. Genetic abnormalities or anatomical disorders of the reproductive system can also contribute to pregnancy loss. Certain conditions, including systemic infections or chronic illnesses like diabetes can increase your risk of miscarriage.
We use medications for many fertility treatments, such as ovulation induction or stimulation for IVF and IUI. It’s not uncommon for women to forget to self-administer these medications but unfortunately, it can impact the success of your treatment. We recommend you find a reminder strategy that works for you, whether setting an alarm on your phone or sticking a note to your bathroom mirror. If you forget a dose, please contact the nursing team for follow-up.
Menstrual cycles vary in length because different women’s eggs take different times to grow to maturity. Treatment regimes are highly individualised depending on a patient’s normal menstrual cycle length, treatment type, and how an individual responds to the medications. We will always discuss timing and next steps with you throughout the process.
The LH urine test detects an increased level of luteinising hormone in your urine, which indicates that your ovaries have been signaled to release an egg. The test should be used with your second urination of the day - try to leave at least 3 hours between your first and second visits to the toilet.
Achieving two equally bold lines on the test after the instructed time limit indicates a positive result - ovulation is expected to occur in the next 24 to 36 hours. If the test line is lighter in colour than the control line, this is considered a negative result.
If your test is positive, call your fertility nurse’s mobile between 9am and 12 noon on weekends and public holidays, 6pm to 9pm weekdays. If after 10am weekdays, call us at the clinic.
If your test result is negative on a weekend or public holidays you can attend your scan as planned. You do not need to call with a negative result unless the nurses advise you to do so.
Spotting is normal after IUI, an embryo transfer procedure, or egg collection, but if you have any significant bleeding or pain, call us immediately.
During your IVF treatment, please call the nurses and limit your fluid intake to 1.5L per day if you are experiencing excess bloating after the egg collection. You will receive detailed instructions regarding the procedure and post-operative care at the time we are booking you in for your egg collection.
Luteal phase injections for procedures such as IVF or intracytoplasmic sperm injection may also induce bloating in some women. If you feel nauseous with or without vomiting, or are experiencing constipation, contact us to discuss comfort measures.
If you haven’t achieved a pregnancy in the current cycle, your period will come 13 to 15 days after:
When you have a treatment cycle, you will usually have had 3 to 4 hormone injections for the second half of the cycle.
Sometimes these injections can mean your period is delayed by a day or so, so for that reason we do not do a pregnancy test until 16 days after the day of ovulation or egg collection. Any pregnancy test done prior to this time is likely to give a false positive reading (that is, suggest you are pregnant when you are not). Do not do urine pregnancy tests at home prior to this time as you may receive a false positive reading.
If the timing of your pregnancy test falls on a Saturday, we will do it on the preceding Friday. If we get an inconclusive reading, an additional test may be required on the Monday.
It is not uncommon for your period to be different after treatment. Some women may experience a heavier period, while others may have a much lighter period, depending on the type of treatment/medication used.
It is important to let us know when your period arrives after treatment. We may have you attend for a blood test even if your period arrives. We often can get important information for the next cycle from these blood results.
We calculate the ideal timing of your pregnancy test for you after your fertility treatment. This is typically 16 days after the date of ovulation or egg collection. This test will also help us to decide if there is anything else we have to do to maximise the chance of an ongoing pregnancy.
A home pregnancy test is less sensitive and more likely to return a false positive (that is, incorrectly suggesting you are pregnant when you aren’t due to medications that you have taken during the cycle).
If the pregnancy does not continue, any information about your early pregnancy can be important for the future as there might be other things we can do next time to maximise the likelihood of an ongoing pregnancy. Information about whether a pregnancy started or not also helps you to decide whether you wish to do another form of treatment.
Some bleeding or spotting in the early days of a pregnancy can be normal, but the colour and the amount is important. If the blood is bright red or heavy, contact your obstetrician/GP or organise an ultrasound scan with us at Fertility First if you have not yet been referred on to your obstetrician or GP for shared care.
Mild cramping can also be normal during early pregnancy. However, if your pain is severe, contact your hospital emergency department or obstetrician. Generally, continue on all medications until your obstetrician/GP or fertility specialist advises otherwise.
