Ultrasound in Subfertility

Thyroid dysfunction and subfertility.

The thyroid hormones act on nearly every cell in the body. Moreover, the thyroid gland continuously interacts with the ovaries, and the thyroid hormones are involved in almost all phases of reproduction. Thyroid dysfunctions are relatively common among women of reproductive age, and can affect fertility in various ways, resulting in anovulatory cycles, high prolactin levels, and sex hormone imb...

In vitro fertilisation for unexplained subfertility.

BACKGROUND One-third of subfertile couples have no identifiable cause for their inability to conceive. In vitro fertilisation (IVF) is a widely accepted treatment for this condition; however, this treatment is invasive and expensive and is associated with risks. OBJECTIVES To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of IVF compared with expectant management, unstimulated intrauterine inseminatio...

Economic strategies in modern male subfertility treatment.

Subfertility reflects accelerated ovarian ageing.

BACKGROUND The aim of the study was to explore the extent to which accelerated ovarian ageing may lead to subfertility early in reproductive life and eventually cause early menopause. METHODS The population studied (n = 2393) never used oral contraceptives, hormone replacement therapy or an intrauterine device. Logistic regression analyses were performed using age at menopause as proxy for ac...

Validity of self-reported causes of subfertility.

The authors assessed the accuracy of cause(s) of subfertility as reported by women in a self-administered questionnaire in comparison with medical record information, in a nationwide cohort study of women receiving in vitro fertilization treatment in the Netherlands (n = 9,164) between 1983 and 1995. Validity was expressed as sensitivity and specificity, and reliability was expressed by the kap...