Unexplained infertility is a very frustrating diagnosis for many couples. According to the article Unexplained Infertility, 10% of all infertile couples have a diagnosis of "unexplained infertility," which is just a more professional-sounding way for a doctor to say, "You've stumped me."

As the article points out, some couples have nothing physically wrong with their reproductive systems but are just plain unlucky. However, in other cases, there is a reason for the infertility: Medical science just has not caught up with diagnosing the cause yet.

According to the article, couples with unexplained infertility have a one in three chance in conceiving over a three-year period with no medical intervention. Using fertility treatments can increase the odds of conceiving sooner. I have a friend who had unexplained infertility. Just one intrauterine insemination (IUI) was all it took to fix her infertility problem. She even conceived her second child faster than she planned with no medical intervention required.

The article discusses many different reasons that can explain the "unexplained infertility." However, the bottom line is that, when your infertility is "unexplained," it is hard to know how to fix what isn't broken.

My friend who had unexplained infertility took it very hard. She longed for a diagnosis of what was wrong so that she could then fix it. How could she know what to fix when the doctor could not find anything broken? She and her husband passed every test with flying colors, but she still failed to conceive month after month. She was much more frustrated than the other people in our infertility support group because at least we knew what the "enemy" was. This woman had no idea what was causing her woes.

I do not believe that unexplained infertility has anything to do with bad luck. I believe there is an actual cause that medical science has not yet identified. I would not be surprised to see a "breakthrough" news article in the future that explains "unexplained infertility." I hope this happens soon because it will be a relief to the 10% of infertile couples who are longing for a diagnosis and way to treat their infertility.

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Photo credit: Lynda Bernhardt