Infertility is a disease or condition of the reproductive system often diagnosed after a couple has had one year of unprotected, well-timed intercourse, or if the woman has suffered from multiple miscarriages.

Approximately 40% is of male origin, 40% of female origin and in 20 % there is no obvious identifiable cause. Many couples have combined male and female causes.

Infertility is broken down into male factor, female factor, combination of the two and unexplained infertility. For more information on infertility diagnosis visit the treatment section of our site. A great deal of misinformation about infertility exists today. People often say, "If you just relax, you'll get pregnant." These kind of statements can be misleading and hurtful for couples experiencing infertility.

Medical technology now offers more answers and treatment options to men and women trying to conceive a child. From hormonal treatments, ovulation indiction and Intrauterine insemination to more advanced technologies like in vitro fertilization, ICSI to surrogacy, egg/sperm donation and even embryo donation. For more information on treatment of infertility visit the treatment section of our site.

RESOLVE has an extensive physician referral network. These physicians are carefully screened by the RESOLVE Physician Advisory Group. You can get a referral from this list by calling RESOLVE's toll-free HelpLine at 888-623-0744.

Some chemotherapy medicines, like those in the alkylating agents group, can cause infertility. These types of chemotherapy medicines can be used to treat many different kinds of cancer, not just cancers that affect the reproductive organs. Chemotherapy can cause infertility by either reducing the number of eggs in your ovaries or by causing early menopause. Menopause is when menstrual periods stop, because the ovaries run out of eggs.

Some survivors don’t realize that they are infertile until they try to have children and aren’t able to get pregnant. There are some symptoms of infertility you can look for. However, if you experience any of these symptoms, it does not always mean you are infertile. They could be symptoms of other medical conditions. Female cancer survivors who completed puberty before they started treatment usually stop menstruating during treatment. This does not mean you are infertile.

quot;Infertility is a disease that affects the reproductive organs of both men and women, impairing one of the body's most basic functions: the ability to have children. However, just like lung cancer and HIV/AIDS, infertility can often be prevented. Decisions and choices that you make in your teens and twenties can affect your fertility for years to come." Pregnancy Loss: Approaches To Evaluation And Treatment - Ronald Feinberg, MD, PhD, - Reproductive Associates of Delaware

More than six million people in the United States are affected by infertility. While there are a number of assisted reproductive technologies (ART) available to infertile couples, in vitro fertilization (IVF) is by far the most utilized of these methods. In fact, IVF accounts for more than 99 percent of all ART procedures and is the oldest ART procedure with the first baby born in 1978.

Cancer and its treatment may sometimes put male survivors at risk for infertility. Infertility means not being able to produce healthy sperm or to ejaculate sperm. There are many different causes for infertility in cancer survivors. While it’s best to discuss your risk for infertility before treatment begins, there are still options for cancer survivors who may experience infertility as a result of cancer or its treatment but want to have children.