Diagnostic evaluation of female infertility according to international guidelines

Abstract

Numerous controversies regarding infertility treatment arise with the increasing prevalence and complex background of the disease. Effective therapy should be based on proper diagnostics and management. Its cost effectiveness and safety for patients and their offspring are also important. Patients' expectations and outlook on life are also taken into consideration due to their individual autonomy. All the above-mentioned should be considered to create evidence-based medical schemes useful in practical proceeding with patients. The many innovations and constant development in this field call for procedures to be open to some extent and contain effectivity and cost-effectiveness internal validation mechanisms. Many societies and national boards have created guidelines for infertility diagnostics to ensure procedure standardization and high quality across clinics. We present the conventions of infertility diagnostics from the perspective of female patients. The international recommendations of the most prominent societies have been included in the paper. The passable guidelines on uterine fibroids and endometriosis, in addition to the infertility guidelines of the American Society of Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) and the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence (NICE) from UK were also presented. The European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE) and the World Endometriosis Society (WES) have developed contemporary guidelines dealing with infertility in endometriosis patients. Combined recommendations and directives can be a useful tool in the everyday practice of infertility specialists and a starting point for development of the novel therapeutic schemes and protocols that were mentioned above.

Key words: diagnostics, infertility, guidelines, recommendations