Because of a lapse in government funding, the information on this website may not be up to date, transactions submitted via the website may not be processed, and the agency may not be able to respond to inquiries until appropriations are enacted.

The NIH Clinical Center (the research hospital of NIH) is open. For more details about its operating status, please visit cc.nih.gov.

Updates regarding government operating status and resumption of normal operations can be found at OPM.gov.

What do we know about idiopathic or unexplained infertility in females and males?

When health care providers cannot find a specific or even likely cause for infertility in females or males, they will diagnose the infertility as "idiopathic" or unexplained.

This diagnosis applies to about 30% of female infertility cases1 and about 50% of male infertility cases.2

In some cases, however, knowing the exact cause may not be necessary. The health care provider may begin treatment to improve the chances of conception, including fertility treatments, even if no cause can be identified.
 

Citations

  1. Practice Committee of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine. (2006). Effectiveness and treatment for unexplained infertility. Fertility and Sterility, 86(5 Suppl 1), S111–S114.
  2. Jose-Miller, A. B., Boyden, J. W., & Frey, K. A. (2007). Infertility. American Family Physician, 75, 849–856.
top of page BACK TO TOP