Womens Health Matters

We asked fertility specialist Janis H. Fox, MD, from the Center for Reproductive Medicine at Brigham and Women's Hospital:

When should a couple seek an evaluation for infertility?
"This largely depends on the age of the woman. Although infertility is defined as not becoming pregnant after one year of trying to conceive, some couples should be evaluated sooner rather than later. If you are under 35, have regular periods and no other reproductive health concerns, it is reasonable to try for one year before seeking a medical evaluation. However, as a woman ages her chance of becoming pregnant decreases. If you are over age 35, you should consider an evaluation after trying for six months."

What are other reasons for scheduling an evaluation?
"Other common reasons to seek a fertility evaluation include women who have had two or more miscarriages; women with absent, irregular or painful periods; women with a history of sexually transmitted disease or pelvic inflammatory disease; women with endometriosis or uterine fibroids; women who have concerns about hormonal disorders; women whose mothers took the synthetic estrogen DES during pregnancy; women who have had previous gynecologic surgery; and women who have concerns about their partner's sperm count." To schedule an evaluation with one of our fertility specialists or to order our guide on infertility call 1-800-BWH-9999 or click here to visit our website.

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Brigham and Women's Hospital, a world leader in patient care, medical education, and research, is consistently named to US News and World Report's Honor Roll of top hospitals. It is one of the finest hospitals in the city of Boston and the surrounding area, and is a major teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School and a world-renowned center for advanced patient care - and known for our pioneering work in virtually every area of medicine.