Ovulatory

Ovulatory causes of infertility refer to problems with egg production, ovulation and the ovulatory cycle – this accounts for 30% of all cases of infertility, and can be detected by conducting a fertility test such as a blood test. Most women suffering from ovulatory problems will still be able to conceive; some will be able to do this without medical treatment, while others may need to use common fertility medications such as clomid and metformin.

There are three types of ovulatory dysfunction:

• Deregulation of hormonal stimulation of the ovaries: this occurs in 70% of patients
• Reversible dysfunction of the ovaries: this occurs in around 15% of patients
• Long-term dysfunction of the ovaries e.g. lesions and complete absence of ovaries: this occurs in 15% of patients

The production of eggs is a very complex process which involves the ovaries, the hypothalamus and the pituitary. Ovulatory dysfunction often results in irregular cycles and late ovulation (oligomenorrhea) or the complete absence of periods (amenorrhea). A complete failure to ovulate is referred to as anovulation, while irregular ovulation is referred to as dysovulation.

The good news is that most of these fertility problems require only simple medical treatments such as ovulation induction, so interaction with your doctor will be minimal. However, other types of ovulatory dysfunction require more intensive treatment such as IVF; these are often very technology-driven and can be very stressful, so it is important to find the best solution for you and your partner. DuoFertility can help to identify when you ovulate even if you have very irregular cycles or do not ovulate very often. In these cases, it is important to identify your day of ovulation so that intercourse can be timed for your most fertile days to maximise your chances of conception.

Read more about hormonal causes of infertility.

Read more about physiological causes of infertility.