Ten claims about fertility that come up in every OPD, checked against the evidence — including which ones cost couples the most time.
Infertility affects roughly 1 in 6 people of reproductive age at some point in their lives.1 A problem that common attracts a great deal of confident advice, and most of it is wrong in a specific and costly way: it either delays treatment that would have worked, or it sells treatment that was never needed.
What follows is the set of claims that come up most often in an Ahmedabad fertility OPD, and what the evidence actually says.
The ten claims, checked
| The claim | What the evidence says |
|---|---|
| “Infertility is a female problem.” | A male factor is involved in roughly half of couples — as the sole cause in a substantial minority and as a contributing factor in many more. A semen analysis is one of the first two tests for this reason. Investigating only the woman is the single commonest error in the first year. |
| “Just relax and it will happen.” | Stress does not cause tubal blockage, low sperm counts, fibroids or endometriosis. It can affect frequency of intercourse and cycle regularity, so it is not nothing — but as an explanation for infertility it is almost always wrong, and as advice it costs people months. |
| “Age matters for women, not for men.” | Female age is the strongest single predictor of success, and the decline steepens after 35. But paternal age is not neutral either: semen quality declines gradually from around 40, and older paternal age is associated with a modest rise in some risks. The effect is far smaller than the maternal one, not absent. |
| “If we conceived before, we cannot be infertile.” | Secondary infertility — difficulty conceiving after a previous pregnancy — is common and is investigated the same way as primary infertility. A previous delivery does not mean the tubes are still open or the sperm count is unchanged. |
| “Irregular periods mean I cannot conceive.” | Irregular cycles usually mean ovulation is irregular, most often from PCOS or a thyroid disorder. Both are treatable, and ovulation induction with tablets succeeds for a large proportion of these women without any need for IVF. |
| “IVF is the treatment for infertility.” | IVF is one treatment, for specific indications: blocked tubes, significant male factor, failed simpler treatment, advanced maternal age, unexplained infertility of long duration. A properly investigated couple is frequently treated with tablets, timed intercourse, surgery or IUI. |
| “IVF babies have more health problems.” | Large registry studies show a small absolute increase in some outcomes, much of which tracks back to multiple pregnancy and to the underlying subfertility rather than to the laboratory step itself. Transferring a single embryo removes the largest part of that risk. Millions of children have now been born after IVF. |
| “Lying down for 30 minutes afterwards helps.” | Sperm reach the cervical canal within minutes. Randomised evidence on bed rest after embryo transfer — a far more delicate procedure — shows no benefit. Posture is not the variable. |
| “Every-day intercourse gives the best chance.” | Intercourse every one to two days across the fertile window is what the guidance recommends; timing to ovulation with kits adds stress without adding much. Long abstinence to “save up” sperm reduces motility rather than improving the odds. |
| “Supplements and herbal treatments will fix it.” | Folic acid before conception is evidence-based and should be taken. Correcting a documented deficiency — iron, thyroid, vitamin D — is worth doing. Beyond that the evidence for fertility supplements is weak, and some unregulated preparations have been found to contain undeclared steroids. Bring anything you are taking to the consultation. |
What actually changes the odds
| Factor | Effect | Realistic action |
|---|---|---|
| Female age | The largest single factor | Investigate sooner, not later — the timeline below |
| Smoking and tobacco, including chewed forms | Reduces fertility in both partners and lowers IVF success | Stopping is the highest-yield change either partner can make |
| Body weight at either extreme | Disturbs ovulation; affects sperm parameters | Even 5–10% weight loss can restore ovulation in PCOS |
| Alcohol | Dose-related effect on both partners | Reduce while trying |
| Untreated thyroid disease or high prolactin | Directly prevents ovulation | A blood test and a tablet; frequently the whole answer |
| Scrotal heat — tight clothing, laptops on the lap | Small but real effect on sperm | Easy to change, modest gain |
| Untreated pelvic infection | Damages tubes permanently | Treat episodes promptly — this is a fertility decision |
When to stop waiting
The standard is straightforward and worth knowing before anyone quotes you a different one:
- Under 35: investigate after 12 months of regular unprotected intercourse.2
- 35 and over: investigate after 6 months.
- Immediately, at any age, if there are irregular or absent periods, known endometriosis or PCOS, previous pelvic surgery or infection, previous chemotherapy or radiotherapy, two or more miscarriages, or a known male factor.
“Investigate” does not mean “start IVF”. The first round is a semen analysis, a hormone profile including AMH and thyroid, a scan, and an assessment of tubal patency. Those four tell you what the problem is — and in a large number of couples the answer is something that does not need an IVF laboratory at all.
At Cosmic
No couple is advised IVF here before the basic workup is complete, and both partners are investigated from the first visit rather than the woman alone. Where the finding is ovulatory dysfunction, a thyroid abnormality or a treatable male factor, that is treated first and IVF is not raised. Where IVF genuinely is indicated, you are given the reason in writing along with an itemised estimate. The hospital is a registered Level 2 ART clinic (Certificate No. GS/AHD/165) under the ART (Regulation) Act, 2021.
PC&PNDT notice. Prenatal sex determination is not done at this hospital and is prohibited by law under the Pre-conception and Pre-natal Diagnostic Techniques Act, 1994. All ultrasound examinations here are performed for medical indications only.
Book a consultation
Cosmic Women’s Hospital & IVF Center, 3rd Floor, The Capital Corporate, Nr. Naroda Muktidham, Naroda, Ahmedabad – 382330. Call 77-9383-9383 or write to contact@cosmichospital.in. OPD 10am to 8pm.
Sources
- World Health Organization. Infertility prevalence estimates, 2023; Infertility fact sheet. who.int
- National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. CG156: Fertility problems — assessment and treatment. nice.org.uk
- American Society for Reproductive Medicine. Optimizing natural fertility: a committee opinion. asrm.org
- European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology. ESHRE Guideline: Unexplained infertility. eshre.eu
- World Health Organization. Laboratory manual for the examination and processing of human semen, 6th edition. who.int
This article is general information about medical conditions and treatments. It is not a diagnosis and is not a substitute for consultation with a qualified doctor who has examined you and seen your reports.
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Cosmic Women's Hospital
Cosmic Women’s Hospital & IVF Center is a registered Level 2 ART clinic in Naroda, Ahmedabad — obstetrics, gynaecological surgery, IVF and ICSI, with ultrasound in-house and 24-hour emergency obstetric cover. Articles here are written by the clinical team and medically reviewed by Dr. Rahul Khatri or Dr. Bhargavi Khatri before publication.
