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Expert Q&A

 

By Arnold Jacobson
Arnold Jacobson, MD Fertility Specialist Reproductive Science Center® Bay Area Fertility & Gynecology Medical Group, Inc. San Ramon, California

What's the difference between primary and secondary infertility?

Primary infertility, meaning never having had a successful birth of a child and secondary infertility, meaning having had a successful birth, are about equally common among infertile couples. The common causes of the two generally are very similar, and therefore the treatments are similar also.

Certain causes of primary infertility, such as congenital uterine defects (such as structural defects like a bicornate or septated uterus) or azoospermia (no sperm in the ejaculate) are much less common in secondary infertile."

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