Female Infertility

There are many reasons someone may have difficulty getting pregnant. In some cases, there’s a clear medical explanation. In others, the cause may be harder to identify.

Common causes of female infertility include:

• Ovulatory disorders, including polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and hypothalamic amenorrhea
• Diminished ovarian reserve, a decrease in the number or quality of available eggs
• Endometriosis, when tissue similar to the uterine lining grows outside the uterus
• Uterine abnormalities, such as fibroids, polyps, or congenital differences in the shape of the uterus
• Tubal factor infertility, including blocked, damaged, or missing fallopian tubes
• Unexplained infertility, when standard testing reveals no clear cause
• Recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL), defined as two or more miscarriages

Your doctor may recommend diagnostic testing—including bloodwork, an ultrasound to evaluate the uterus and ovaries, or a hysterosalpingogram (HSG) to help evaluate the uterine cavity and fallopian tubes—to better understand the underlying cause.