Infertility in Females

Guest: Elizabeth A. Stewart, M.D. Host: Darryl S. Chutka, M.D. (@ChutkaMD) Infertility can be related to health issues in the male, female or both. Whatever the reason, infertility can put a major strain on a couple’s relationship. To add to the stress, infertility often results in multiple exams, tests, injections and procedures for one or both of the couple. Fortunately, the cause of infertility can often be found and in some cases, treatment is effective, resulting in a successful pregnancy and birth. The topic of discussion for this podcast is infertility, specifically infertility in females. Our guest is Dr. Elizabeth (Ebbie) A. Stewart, a physician in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Division of Endocrinology and Infertility. We’ll review the prevalence of infertility in females, males and both, risk factors for infertility, the most common causes of infertility and the evaluation a primary care provider can perform. Specific topics discussed: Definition of infertility Prevalence of infertility Risk factors for infertility Recommended evaluation by primary care providers Specialized evaluation performed by an infertility expert Common causes of infertility in females Success of infertility treatment Invitro fertilization as a treatment alternative to infertility including cost, success rate and risk of multiple births Connect with the Mayo Clinic’s School of Continuous Professional Development online at https://ce.mayo.edu/ or on Twitter @MayoMedEd.