Fertility problems? See your GP

Discovering that it is not easy to fall pregnant can be stressful and concerning, but it is a common experience. Around one in six Australian couples have fertility difficulties. Seeking help from a trusted GP is an important first step in finding any underlying medical explanations, getting emotional support and considering medical assistance.

Infertility can be due to:

• female factors, such as endometriosis or PCOS (30% of cases)
• male factors, such as low sperm count or quality (30% of cases)
• combined factors (30% of cases)
• no found cause or ‘unexplained’ infertility (10% of cases).

To maximise your chances of falling pregnant, either naturally or through assisted reproduction, it is helpful to eat a balanced diet, reduce or eliminate alcohol or drug intake (including caffeine), quit smoking, exercise regularly, get enough sleep, and manage stress.

If you and your partner are younger than 35 and tried to conceive for over 12 months, or over 35 and tried to conceive for 6 months, or if you have known infertility (including social), it is time to see your GP.

Your GP will take a comprehensive history, including menstrual history, timing of intercourse, obstetric and gynaecological history, lifestyle and family history. They may perform a physical examination before ordering initial investigations, which include genetic testing, hormone levels, semen analysis, STI testing or imaging.

Your GP may then refer you to a fertility specialist. We are fortunate in the Illawarra to have several highly skilled fertility doctors and teams. Your specialist will guide you through further investigations and a range of assisted reproductive technologies (ARTs). ARTs are rapidly advancing and improving, but still depend largely on the age of the female partner.

As you embark on this journey, it is important to ensure you feel supported psychologically. Your GP or fertility specialist can direct you towards professional counselling services.

For more information, visit Health Direct.