In this episode, we have a special guest, Dr. Karl Hansen, professor and Chair of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center and expert in reproductive endocrinology and infertility.  

Determining optimal treatments for unexplained infertility can be challenging, as the available literature is often limited or inconsistent. Dr. Hansen sheds light on the difficulties in interpreting the studies, including the lack of untreated control groups, variations in study designs and definitions of unexplained infertility, and inadequate discussion of treatment risks. 

We discuss how the ASRM Practice Committee decides on treatments and studies to include in guidelines, taking into account commonly used treatments and defining the scope of unexplained infertility. Dr. Hansen emphasizes the importance of evidence-based medicine and the rigorous assessment of paper quality. 

We explore various treatments for unexplained infertility and conclude by exploring areas for future research and improvement in the field, such as increasing access to IVF, identifying preferred agents for ovarian stimulation, investigating adjuvants to enhance outcomes in less aggressive treatments, and developing better models to predict multiple gestation pregnancy rates. 

Tune in to this informative episode with Dr. Karl Hansen to gain insights into evidence-based treatments for couples with unexplained infertility. 

To View this and all ASRM's guidelines, visit ASRM.org

If you'd like to know more about the types of practice documents and the methodology of their creation, visit this page on ASRM.org

The ASRM Today podcast is supported in part by the ASRM Corporate Member Council