Some causes of infertility cannot be fixed.

In cases where spontaneous pregnancy does not occur, couples can often still achieve pregnancy through the use of artificial insemination. Infertility treatment can involve significant financial, physical, psychological, and time commitments.

Treatment for men

Treatment for men for common sexual problems or a lack of healthy sperm may include the following:

• Changing lifestyle factors. Improving lifestyle and certain behaviors can increase the chances of pregnancy. These include stopping certain medications, reducing or eliminating harmful substances, improving the frequency and timing of sexual intercourse, exercising regularly, and optimizing other factors that may affect fertility.
• Medications. Certain medications can improve sperm count and the likelihood of a successful pregnancy. These medications can improve testicular function, including sperm production and quality.
• Surgery. In some conditions, surgery can unblock sperm and restore fertility. In other cases, surgical repair of a varicocele can improve the chances of pregnancy overall.
• Sperm retrieval. These techniques are used to retrieve sperm when ejaculation is a problem or when there is no sperm in the ejaculate. They can also be used when artificial insemination is planned and the sperm count is low or otherwise abnormal.

Treatment for women

Some women need only one or two therapies to improve their fertility. Other women may need several different treatments to get pregnant.

• Stimulating ovulation with fertility medications. Fertility medications are the main treatment for women who are infertile due to ovulation problems. These medications regulate or induce ovulation. Talk to your doctor about fertility medication options – including the benefits and risks of each type.
• Intrauterine insemination (IUI). IUI involves placing healthy sperm directly into the uterus at about the time the ovary releases one or more eggs for fertilization. Depending on the reasons for infertility, the timing of IUI may be coordinated with your normal cycle or with fertility medications.
• Surgery to restore fertility. Uterine problems such as endometrial polyps, a uterine septum, intrauterine scar tissue, and some fibroids can be treated with hysteroscopic surgery. Endometriosis, pelvic adhesions, and larger fibroids may require laparoscopic surgery or surgery with a larger abdominal incision.

Assisted reproductive technology

In an IVF cycle, other techniques are sometimes used, such as:

• Intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). A single healthy sperm is injected directly into a mature egg. ICSI is often used when sperm quality or quantity is poor, or when fertilization attempts have failed during previous IVF cycles.
• Assisted incubation. This technique helps the embryo implant into the lining of the uterus by opening the embryo’s outer shell (hatching).
• Carrying a pregnancy. Women who do not have a functioning uterus or for whom pregnancy poses a serious health risk may opt for IVF with a delivery. In this case, the couple’s embryo is placed into the carrier’s uterus to achieve pregnancy.

Complications of treatment

Complications of infertility treatment may include:

• Multiple pregnancies. The most common complication of infertility treatment is a multiple pregnancy – twins, triplets, or more. Generally, the larger the number of fetuses, the higher the risk for preterm labor and delivery, as well as problems during pregnancy such as gestational diabetes. Premature babies are at increased risk for health and developmental problems. Talk to your doctor about any concerns you have about multiple pregnancies before you start treatment.
• Ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS). Fertility medications used to induce ovulation can cause OHSS, especially at ART, where the ovaries swell and become painful. Symptoms may include mild abdominal pain, bloating, and nausea that lasts about a week or more if you become pregnant. In rare cases, a more severe form causes rapid weight gain and shortness of breath, requiring emergency treatment.
• Bleeding or infection. As with any invasive procedure, there is a rare risk of bleeding or infection with assisted reproductive technology or reproductive surgery.