ABSTRACT
The outcome of unexplained infertility depends on various factors. These include the age of the female patient, and the duration and type of infertility. If the woman is over 35 years, the success of expectant management is poor. Hull et al. (1985) showed that the chances of spontaneous conception are closely related to the duration of infertility and whether it is primary or secondary in nature. The outcome is better in those with secondary infertility than those with primary infertility. Where the investigations are more extensive, the pregnancy rates tend to be much higher, hence the facilities available for investigation and labelling the couple ‘unexplained’ are critical in influencing outcome. The longer the period of expectant management, the better the success rate.
