Medical investigation is necessary to discover the cause of infertility. If there is an infection, it is promptly treated. However, repair operations on already scarred fallopian tubes are rarely successful. Hormone disorders are easier to treat. Ovulation can be stimulated with a drug called clomiphene combined with a small dose of estrogen.
Care is taken to prevent multiple pregnancy.
In a technique known as in vitro fertilization, introduced in Britain during the late 1970's, infertile women become pregnant after having a fertilized ovum implanted in the uterus. The ovum is taken from the woman at ovulation, fertilized in a laboratory by sperm taken from the husband, and then replaced in the woman's womb. This technique is currently being carried out in a number of centers in the United States. The success rate, however, is only about 11 to 26 percent. A further 50 percent become pregnant within 2 years of treatment.