Infertility

After a year of trying without success — or after six months if you are over 35, or sooner if periods are irregular, absent or very painful, or there is a known problem on either side. Coming early costs nothing and often saves time.

Yes, always. A male factor is involved in around half of all cases, and a semen analysis is quick, simple and non-invasive. Investigating only one partner risks missing the actual cause.

Far from it. Many couples conceive with ovulation induction tablets, treatment of an underlying condition, minor surgery, or IUI. IVF is offered when simpler options are unlikely to work or have already been tried.

Stress alone is not usually the cause, and being told to "just relax" is neither accurate nor kind. Severe stress can affect ovulation in some women, and treatment itself is stressful — which is a reason for support, not blame.

Polycystic ovary syndrome affects how regularly the ovaries release an egg. It is one of the most common causes of difficulty conceiving, and also one of the most treatable — many women conceive once ovulation is restored.

It matters more than any other single factor for women, because both the number and the quality of eggs decline with age, and the decline steepens after the mid-thirties. It is a reason to be seen sooner rather than a reason to give up.