Seeking medical help getting pregnant

You’ve taken a positive step

Most couples that see the treatment journey through succeed in achieving their dream.¹ Modern medicine offers a range of treatment options, some simple, others asking a little more effort. But sooner or later, most couples succeed in becoming parents.

Stand strong together

You and your partner may experience the treatment journey differently. Everyone employs different strategies to cope with stressful situations. It’s important that these differences don’t stand in your way of conceiving. Use the Fertility Compass to discover your coping style and how your partner’s may differ. Take time to understand each other and use the Partner Chart to help you determine how to work together as a team.

The right help

There may be times when you feel discouraged or that the course of treatment you’re undergoing isn’t working. Fertility is affected by many factors. It requires great skill to identify the source of your problem and provide appropriate help. A specialised fertility clinic will be able to offer a complete diagnosis and advanced treatment options. Don’t hesitate to seek advice from a fertility specialist.

You decide

It’s important to know that there is no absolute success rate for treatments. Much depends on your age, the cause of your conception difficulties and the expertise of your medical team. The good news is that there is a wide range of potential treatments available. Make sure you speak to the right specialist and remember the course is yours to determine.

^{1. Pinbourg A et al, Prospective longitudinal cohort study on cumulative 5-year delivery and adoption rates among 1338 couples initiating infertility treatment. Hum Reprod. 2009;24: 991-999.}

Cervical mucus

A natural lubricant produced by the female body that aids the transportation of sperm and helps protect against infection.

Cervix

The cervix or neck of the uterus is the lower, narrow portion of the uterus where it joins with the top end of the vagina.

Chlamydia

A sexually-transmitted infection, which may be asymptomatic or cause genital inflammation and discharge, pelvic pain and fever. Untreated, chlamydia can lead to Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID) and fertility problems.

Chromosomes

Structures found in the nucleus of cells that contain genes and carry heredity information, such as eye colour, blood type and vulnerability to disease. Humans have 23 pairs of chromosomes. One set of 23 chromosomes is inherited from the biological mother via her egg and the other from the biological father, via his sperm. Each sperm cell contains either male or female sex chromosomes. As such, it determines the gender of the foetus. Genetic abnormalities occur when an individual is born missing a chromosome or has more copies of a chromosomal pair.

Clomiphene citrate

A prescription drug used to bring on ovulation. It comes as a tablet and is often used as an initial treatment for women with ovulation problems. Clomiphene citrate induces ovulation in 80% of women who have trouble ovulating on their own.

Conception

The moment of fertilization when the sperm meets and penetrates the egg.

Congenital abnormalities

Physical abnormalities present at birth.

Corpus luteum

A hormone-secreting mass within the ovary that forms from the remains of a follicle each time an egg is released. The hormones it produces prepare the uterus for embryo implantation. If pregnancy does not occur, the mass is shed during menstruation.

Cryopreservation

A technique used to store human tissue at very low temperatures. Embryos that are not used in an ART cycle may be preserved in this way for future use. Also known as “Freezing”.

Cryptorchidism

A condition usually detected at birth or childhood whereby the testicles fail to descend. When a male foetus develops in the uterus, his testicles normally form inside his abdomen and descend into the scrotum shortly before birth. Undescended testicles usually descend themselves by the sixth month of life, but are unlikely to descend after this period of their own accord.