Genetic causes and workup of male and female infertility 3. Details of the clinical evaluation

J M Opitz, John M. Opitz, Opitz JM, Shapiro SS, S S Shapiro, Sander S. Shapiro, Uehling DT, D T Uehling, David T. Uehling
Postgraduate medicine · 1979 · vol. 66(1) , pp. 129–136 · doi:10.1080/00325481.1979.11715204 · PMID:471840 · W24451575
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⚙ AI-generated summary by claude@2026-07, 2026-07-19 ⓘ

Clinical evaluation of infertility focuses on history, physical exam, and functional tests, with the cause remaining unknown in a significant percentage of couples and males, and specific factors like varicocele, ovulatory issues, or pelvic disease being common contributors in males and females, respectively.

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Abstract

In the evaluation of male and female infertility the history, family history, physical examination, and endocrine and gonadal functional evaluations are the most informative measures. The cause of the infertility is never found in some 17.5% of couples and in almost one fourth of males. In over one third of cases male infertility is attributed to varicocele. In 40% of women infertility can be attributed to ovulatory or cervical factors, uterotubal disease, endometriosis and other pelvic disease, or a combination of these factors. For couples with primary infertility the fertility rate after seven years is only 36%; in such cases the neonatal death rate, frequency of low birth weight, and incidence of major malformations are several time greater than in the normal population.

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Condition tags

endometriosisinfertility

MeSH descriptors

Infertility, Female Infertility, Male Adult Biopsy, Needle Female Humans Infant, Newborn Infertility, Female Infertility, Female Infertility, Male Infertility, Male Male Pregnancy Prognosis Spermatogenesis Testis Testis

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