Skip Navigation

This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF )
Right arrow Submit a response
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me when eLetters are posted
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My Personal Archive
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Puttemans, P.
Right arrow Articles by Brosens, I.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow Articles by Puttemans, P.
Right arrow Articles by Brosens, I.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us  
What's this?

Human Reproduction, Vol. 10, No. suppl_1, pp. 80-89, 1995
© 1995 European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology

Reflections on the way to conduct an investigation of subfertility

P. Puttemans1,1, W. Ombelet2 and I. Brosens3

1 Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, St Elisabeth Hospital De Frélaan 206, B-1180 Brussels 2 Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, St Jan Hospital, Schiepse Bos 2, B-3600 Genk 3 Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University Hospital Gasthuisberg Herestraat 49, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium

Correspondence: 1To whom correspondence should be addressed

Infertility is a worldwide issue in reproductive health. In view of the World Health Organization's definition of health, the psychological and social consequences of infertility simply cannot be ignored. Prevention of infertility is difficult and does not help the couple seeking medical advice for infertility, whereas efficient treatment for infertility is time consuming, expensive and often unsuccessful. This article reflects on a shortened, yet full investigation of both partners' fertility before any treatment whatsoever, which is indispensable once the decision to help the couple medically has been made. By optimizing the use of modern gynaecological endoscopy within the woman's cycle, an exhaustive infertility investigation can be conducted within the span of two couple-physician contacts, thereby responding to the couple's concern, avoiding loss of time and energy due to inappropriate therapies, and directing the subfertility treatment correctly from the start. Trained gynaecologists can easily conduct this investigation in fertility centres in developed countries, as well as in centres for family planning in developing countries. The investigation can be employed either with an emphasis on diagnosis alone (and then even under local anaesthesia) or, if the necessary infrastructure is available, in combination with operative endoscopy under general anaesthesia where indicated

Key words: endoscopic diagnosis/mid-luteal endoscopy/subfertility


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us    What's this?




Disclaimer: Please note that abstracts for content published before 1996 were created through digital scanning and may therefore not exactly replicate the text of the original print issues. All efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, but the Publisher will not be held responsible for any remaining inaccuracies. If you require any further clarification, please contact our Customer Services Department.