Unexplained infertility

Expectant management has a key role in the management of unexplained infertility. The decision to treat couples with unexplained infertility should take into account their chances of spontaneous conception, which is affected by female age, duration of infertility and occurrence of a previous pregnancy. The rationale for the use of oral clomifene citrate in unexplained infertility is the belief that it corrects subtle ovulatory dysfunction and encourages the release of more than one oocyte. Clomifene is inexpensive, non-invasive and requires little clinical monitoring, but it can cause multiple pregnancies, including high-order multiples. Intrauterine insemination (IUI) has been used widely for the treatment of unexplained infertility. It is thought to enhance the chance of pregnancy by increasing the number of motile spermatozoa within the uterus, bringing them in close proximity to the oocyte. Although more effective than IUI, superovulation (SO) along with IUI is associated with high rates of multiple births.