Endometriosis clinic

One of the ways to find out is to take a look inside with a private hysteroscopy or uterus test, available at our IVF fertility clinic in Cambridge.

Normal structure and function of the uterus (womb) and its lining (endometrium) are essential for the success of natural and IVF assisted conception. A private hysteroscopy, also knows as a uterus test, is the detailed examination of the inside of your uterus to check the cavity and lining. Some uterine or endometrial abnormalities can contribute to the inability to accept an embryo or to miscarriage, and can be corrected.

It is a relatively simple procedure usually taking less than 30 minutes. In most cases, you have the examination without anaesthesia, although you may experience period-like pains.

You may need a hysteroscopy if:

• You have bleeding or spotting during your cycle, other than menstrual bleeding
• You have known endometrial abnormalities that have been noted on an ultrasound
• You have had a uterine intervention in the past, such as: termination of pregnancy; manual removal of the placenta; hysterotomy; or complicated caesarean section
• You have a history of recurrent miscarriage or failed implantation

Hysteroscopy is best done during the second half of your menstrual cycle, but can be performed at any time, as long as you are not having your period.

For further information, get in touch with us.

There are many treatments available for female infertility and the treatment you require depends greatly on what diagnosis you receive.

If you’re not ovulating, the first recommendation will be to have ovulation induction (OI). This treatment ensures you are releasing eggs at the right time, ready for fertilisation, through support of your own menstrual cycle.

There are a number of reasons you may currently not be producing eggs. However, regular ovulation can usually be restored using fertility drugs (pills or injections). Around seven out of 10 women taking these drugs will ovulate, and four out of 10 will conceive in the first three months. The choice of drug will be made by our experts after careful assessment. Fertility drugs stimulate the development and ovulation of mature eggs to be released ready for fertilisation.

Intrauterine insemination (IUI) is another treatment option which involves bringing the eggs and sperm together at the right time. You will have an initial consultation with one of our fertility specialists to agree your personalised treatment plan. You will be closely monitored by regular ultrasound scans and blood or urine tests. Depending on the number and size of your follicles, and the thickness of your endometrium, an injection may be given to induce ovulation. The sperm is carefully washed and prepared, and IUI is performed at the optimum time to achieve a pregnancy.

Other treatment options include:

• IVF – for more information on this please visit our designated IVF page
• ICSI – Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI) is a lab technique that may be appropriate for you if your sperm need a bit of extra help to achieve successful fertilisation. Your embryos, created using the ICSI technique, are then transferred in exactly the same way as in standard IVF
• Blastocyst culture – This is a scientific term for when your embryos are kept in our laboratory incubators for longer. This ensures they undergo critical developmental changes before being returned to the uterus
• Frozen Embryo Transfer (FET) – If you had embryos frozen during a previous cycle, they can be thawed and placed in your uterus, avoiding the need to go through another IVF cycle
• Surrogacy – In some cases, potential parents need the help of another person to carry and deliver their baby for them

There are many potential causes of infertility and fertility problems can affect either partner. But in a third of cases of infertility, these are caused by female factors.

These broadly include: ovulatory disorders (including PCOS); poor egg quantity or absence of eggs; blocked fallopian tubes; endometriosis; or physical problems with the uterus; and, in about a third of the cases, unexplained infertility.

Find out more about these major causes of female infertility.