obstetrician-gynecologists (ob-gyns) can evaluate and treat infertility in women. ob-gyns specialize in general medical care of women including care related to pregnancy and the reproductive tract. urologists who specialize in the urinary tract and the male reproductive organs can evaluate and treat infertility in men. more resistant and complex problems are typically handled by "fertility specialists " board-certified reproductive endocrinologists who have completed training in obstetrics and gynecology followed by specialized training in hormonal problems and infertility. one example of a complex problem is a history of failure to conceive despite regular unprotected intercourse in a woman who has regular menstrual periods and whose male partner has normal sperm. other examples of complex problems include a woman who has experienced multiple miscarriages or who has severely damaged fallopian tubes requiring the need for treatment with assisted reproductive technologies (art)--the joining of eggs and sperm in a lab so that fertilization can occur. the decision about when to ask for a referral to a fertility specialist is a personal one. experts say that couples should consider the age of the woman the complexity of their problems and how they are feeling about the progress of their treatment. consumers should be proactive about asking their doctors for a referral to a specialist and about investigating the qualifications of the specialist. a certificate of special qualification in reproductive endocrinology and infertility from the american board of obstetrics and gynecology ensures that the specialist has completed a rigorous course of training.
what kinds of doctors evaluate and treat infertility?