Reproductive medicine is a medical specialty focusing on the reproductive tract and issues like fertility. Reproductive medicine specialists can offer a range of services to patients to prevent, treat, and manage reproductive problems. They work out of both hospitals and clinics, and have access to referrals for patients who need specialized services that may not be available through every provider. Doctors, nurses, and a variety of other allied health professionals can find work in this medical field.
When a couple has trouble getting pregnant, their regular doctor may refer them to a reproductive medicine specialist. This care provider will perform some basic screening to look for obvious causes of infertility like abnormalities in the reproductive tract, low sperm counts, hormone imbalances, and so forth. The goal is to identify and address the cause of infertility to help the couple get pregnant. This may include using assistive technology to achieve a pregnancy, such as performing in vitro fertilization and implanting viable embryos.
Treatments for infertility can include hormones, surgery to correct birth defects, and a variety of other options. If a reproductive medicine specialist cannot successfully help a couple get pregnant, the specialist can present and discuss options such as using donor eggs or sperm, or pursuing surrogacy to carry a pregnancy to term.
Most people in this field have a background in gynecology or urology, although some doctors may approach it from other specialties. Many pursue a fellowship in reproductive medicine after completing their initial medical residency, to obtain access to the latest information and research in the field while working under the supervision of an experienced doctor. These care providers usually belong to professional organizations and pursue continuing education to make sure they are able to offer the best services possible to their patients.
A number of diagnostic and therapeutic tools are available to this field. These include medical imaging studies to look for structural defects in the reproductive tract, bloodwork, analysis of eggs and sperm, and genetic testing. Full service clinics may offer in-house testing and procedures for the convenience of patients, so they do not need to travel to several locations to be evaluated for infertility.
The field of reproductive medicine is under a state of constant evolution. As understanding of human genetics improves, many more options in terms of managing infertility arise. Doctors can perform more detailed testing to check for genetic disorders, and can offer more effective counseling to patients concerned about genetic conditions and their interactions with pregnancy. The technology available to assist couples with pregnancy is also under constant refinement, making pregnancy possible for more couples in a variety of situations.