Explaining Unexplained Infertility

If you are dealing with unexplained infertility it might be helpful to know it is a relatively common diagnosis. In fact, 20% of all couples receive this diagnosis. Unexplained Infertility is defined as the absence of a definable cause for a couple’s failure to achieve pregnancy after 12 months of attempting conception despite a thorough evaluation.

Any couple that experiences infertility knows the difficult and frustrating emotions that come along with the diagnosis. Couples that receive a diagnosis of unexplained infertility agonize over the unknown origin of their inability to conceive, adding to an already stressful situation. When there is not a medical cause or explanation for infertility, there is nothing to fix or treat to help improve the odds of conception. It leaves couples feeling hopeless and scared.

The good news is that many couples that receive a diagnosis of unexplained infertility are successful at conceiving either on their own, or through medical treatment. The biggest challenge I oftentimes see for couples diagnosed with unexplained infertility is how to cope with the diagnosis. Learning to cope differently with the stressors of infertility, and decision-making about family building and treatment options can relieve some of the stress and strain so that you can feel better in your daily living, and make better decisions about family building options.

There is lots of good information out there about coping with infertility. If you visit the Resolve website at www.resolve.org or The American Fertility Association at www.theafa.org, you will find helpful tips. If you are feeling overwhelmed, or are experiencing significant stress in your relationships and daily living, counseling can help. If you are interested in learning about how counseling might help you, send me an email at www.kerry@complementarycaregroup.com.