INFERTILITY

Infertility is defined as the inability to conceive despite having frequent, unprotected sex for at least a year. Ten to fifteen percent of couples experience infertility. It may be caused by a problem with either the man or the woman or both. Dr. Karl Beier has a special interest in the treatment of infertility.

Dr. Beier explains the infertility work-up as follows:
“When I see a patient in the office who is unable to conceive, she is often very distressed about the situation. It is important to start with a basic work-up, which includes a complete history and physical and a basic laboratory evaluation. We also need to perform a semen analysis to rule out the possibility of a male factor. I then determine whether the woman is ovulating and if not, I can prescribe medications to induce ovulations. I can also evaluate the patency of the fallopian tubes and if necessary perform surgery to diagnose endometriosis or the existence of scar tissue. If none of these measures are successful, there are several infertility specialists that I can refer her to.”