Gathering medical records early in the treatment process can save time, money and energy. A healthcare provider needs to know as much as possible about the health and reproductive background of his/her patients to offer appropriate treatment options
Patients may be annoyed because they have to repeat the same information they have shared with former doctors. Some of the questions may be uncomfortable to answer. They may ask about past occurrences that evoke feelings of shame or guilt. Remember that healthcare providers are not asking these questions to pass judgment but rather to look for any clues that might shed some light on the cause of the infertility.
Healthcare providers will be interested in the following history:

- Menstruation (age of onset, length and frequency of cycle, spotting between periods, heavy bleeding or cramping)
- Sexual habits (frequency, problems with intercourse)
- Sexual history
- Contraceptive use (IUDs, birth control pills and other methods)
- Sexually transmitted infections (STIs): chlamydia, gonorrhea, genital warts, syphilis
- Pelvic surgeries or therapies (appendectomy, bowel repair, ovarian cyst removal, D&C, treatment for cervical dysplasia)
- Pelvic infection, pelvic pain, feeling of heaviness in the abdomen
- Abnormal PAP smears
- Previous pregnancies and/or abortions
- Fibroids (type, size and location)
- Abnormal mammograms
- Unusual hair growth