It is hugely stressful waiting and yearning for a positive pregnancy test month after month. When a couple has been trying to get pregnant for a year, they usually talk about infertility and involuntary childlessness, but it is still quite possible to see that long-awaited plus on the needle. Sometimes, however, you may want or need to do a test to find out the reason for the infertility.

Investigation into infertility and involuntary childlessness
In healthcare, we usually talk about infertility and refer to this as involuntary childlessness, which is when a couple has tried to get pregnant for a year of unprotected and regular sex. At this point, it may be appropriate to take tests to try to find a cause for the infertility, if the couple wants. How long an investigation takes varies from clinic to clinic, but it can take a couple of months as several tests are carried out.

What happens after you have done an investigation?
Once the assessment is complete, the doctor will discuss possible treatments. Sometimes no treatment is needed at all, in which case the doctor judges that you have a good chance of having a child by continuing to try on your own.

The cause of the infertility will determine the most appropriate treatment. In about one third of cases, the infertility is due to the sperm, and in another third it is due to the uterus or the eggs. In this case, the treatment usually involves stimulating ovulation, sperm insemination or IVF. Sometimes it can be the people’s lifestyle that makes it difficult to get pregnant. In this case, the treatment may involve changing lifestyle habits, such as stopping smoking or losing/gaining weight.

In some cases, there is no explanation for why a pregnancy does not occur, this is called unexplained infertility.

What is the difference between infertile and sterile
If you talk about sterility, it means that the man or woman cannot have children. Men can become sterile after a chlamydial infection or gonorrhea if it has led to an inflammation of the epididymis. However, this is very rare. Women can become sterile if they have untreated chlamydia or gonorrhea, which leads to permanent damage to the fallopian tubes. Both men and women can become sterile after cancer treatments.

Where can I get help?
If you and your partner have been trying to conceive for more than a year through regular sex without success, you can go to a gynaecological clinic, women’s clinic or infertility clinic in a hospital. As a patient at a reproductive health clinic, you usually have access to a counsellor if you need to talk.