This is due in part to the growth in the population of childbearing age and the increase in the number of women delaying childbearing into their thirties and later. The increase in infertility patients is also due to the development of medical techniques to treat or bypass the effects of sexually transmitted diseases, endocrine disorders and other causes of infertility that are on the rise due to lifestyle and environmental changes. Some treatment may be as simple as teaching a couple how to detect the most fertile time in the woman's menstrual cycle in order to time intercourse. Diagnosis also usually involves an early semen analysis for the male partner. In a post-coital test, the cervical mucus is observed under a microscope after intercourse around the time of ovulation to see whether sperm are active and the mucus shows the ferned pattern which is conducive to sperm surviving in the woman's reproductive tract.
Diagnosis can take many months, and treatment even longer.
Depending on the diagnosis, a reproductive endocrinologist may try progressively more aggressive treatments and watch how the patient responds. Therefore, women need to become informed about their treatments and demand research into potential effects. Infertility treatment is time-consuming, expensive, frustrating and complicated, and many couples will need help sorting out the options and making decisions. Some will find their doctors helpful in this regard, but others will turn to books, support groups, Internet mailing lists, organizations and counselors specializing in treating infertile couples. Moral and ethical dilemmas may arise for some couples during the course of their treatment, and they may seek advice from religious leaders and other sources to deal with these issues.