Table 1.

Infertility treatments [13]

Treatment/evaluation	Description	Common side effects/burden
Females
1 Ovulation tests—basal body temperature     measurement, urine LH, serum     progesterone	Measure body temperature everyday   immediately on waking up to   predict ovulation	Needs to be measured consistently before getting   out of bed [14]
2 Pelvic anatomy evaluation—transvaginal     ultrasound, hysterosalpingography, MRI,     hysteroscopy, laparoscopy		Complications of laparoscopy such as pneumoperitoneum   and vascular/bowel injuries
3 Oral medications     Selective estrogen receptor modulators     (clomiphene)     Bromocriptine for hyperprolactinemia	50–150 mg for 5 days a cycle for up   to 6 months Oral or intravaginal	Hot flashes, blurred vision, nausea, and headache Dizziness, upset stomach
4 Surgical treatments     Laparoscopic ovarian diathermy     Fimbrioplasty     Tubocornual anastomosis		Increased risk of ectopic pregnancies,   pneumoperitoneum and vascular/bowel   injuries
5 Assisted reproductive technology	Daily subcutaneous injections for female   of GnRH and FSH for 14 days,   blood tests	Infection/bruising at injection site, ovarian   hyperstimulation syndrome (abdominal pain,   nausea, rarely respiratory   distress, and pulmonary embolus)
Intrauterine insemination	Placement of washed sperm inside uterus
In vitro fertilization	Placement of eggs with sperm outside   the body followed by transfer of   embryos into the uterus
In vitro fertilization with intracytoplasmic     injection	Injection of retrieved eggs with a single   sperm followed by transfer of embryos   to the uterus
Males
1 Semen analysis
2 Serum FSH, LH, testosterone,     and prolactin levels
3 Epididymal sperm aspiration	Used uncommonly
4 Testicular biopsy	Used uncommonly
5 Oral medications
Dopamine agonists for hyperprolactinemia		Dizziness, upset stomach
Gonadotrophins for pituitary disease
6 Surgical treatments		Risks of invasive surgery
Surgery for obstructive azoospermia
Surgical reanastomosis of vasectomy