Infertility is the inability to produce offspring. A couple is considered "infertile" if, after a year of unprotected intercourse, no pregnancy occurs or a pregnancy does not culminate in a live birth. Approximately 15-20% of couples experience infertility--more than 80 million people world-wide. Initially, infertility was thought to occur only in women. Recognizing that men, too, can be infertile enhanced the possibility of a couple conceiving. The incidence rate of infertility in women and men is almost equal at approximately 35% and, in 15-30% of cases, both partners experience difficulties. Only five to 10% of infertile couples remain childless after appropriate treatment.

When the male sperm joins with the female egg, a new life begins. For many people, something interferes with this process and they cannot conceive. A thorough examination by a specialist is necessary to determine what that problem is and how it may be treated. Infertility in women can...