What is secondary infertility?
Secondary infertility occurs when a couple who has already had a child fails to conceive again after 12 months of regular, unprotected intercourse (6 months if the woman is over 35 or has other risk factors).
It differs from primary infertility, in which a pregnancy has never been achieved.
Although it may seem surprising, secondary infertility is a fairly common condition and can cause frustration, as many people don't expect to experience difficulties after having their first child.
Difficulty in achieving a second pregnancy may be due to different factors:
Stress, tobacco, alcohol or excess weight.
A complete diagnosis allows us to recommend the most appropriate treatment - fertility treatment depends on the cause, age, and duration of infertility.
A fertility study is the first step in determining the cause. It includes:
Semen analysis to analyze the quantity and quality of sperm.
Hormonal analysis, genetic studies or hysteroscopy, as appropriate.
Secondary infertility can lead to feelings of guilt, frustration, and sadness. Couples often compare themselves to the ease of their first pregnancy.
Psychological support specialized in assisted reproduction is key to supporting patients throughout the process and helping them manage anxiety.
The prognosis depends primarily on the woman's age, the identified cause, and the duration of infertility.
In many cases, with a proper diagnosis and personalized treatment, the chances of achieving another pregnancy are very high.
Primary infertility affects couples who have never achieved pregnancy. Secondary infertility occurs after having had at least one child.
Your doctor will determine the most suitable treatment method after a thorough consultation. During the initial consultation, we assess possible factors for infertility and perform thorough a medical examination and ultrasound. For men, we recommend a semen analysis if one has never been performed or it has been done over a year ago.
Treatment duration depends on many factors and the woman/couple’s prognosis. After the initial evaluation, we do our best to give a realistic estimate on how many rounds of treatments may be necessary. Especially with the light treatment methods (ovulation induction and insemination), it’s important to understand that the treatment typically may need to be repeated. With IVF, it may also take several cycles or embryo transfers before a successful pregnancy is achieved.
In Finland, there is no legal age limit for fertility treatments. At Ovumia clinics in Finland, we treat women under the age of 47. At our Ovumia Nova Vita clinic in Tallinn, we treat women under the age of 51.
No. While therapy and counseling services are an important tool for those going through treatment, our services are open to anyone – alone, as a couple, or as a family.
In Ovumia, we are always ready to help you!
