OB / GYN or RE: What’s the Difference?

When my husband and I first started trying to conceive, I saw my OB/GYN for a fertility consultation. She did some bloodwork and told me I should have no problem conceiving. When I went to see her again almost a year later, still not pregnant, she told me we needed to see a reproductive endocrinologist.

If you read any infertility blogs or message boards, you’ll see patients constantly talking about their RE (reproductive endocrinologist). Many people, myself included, had no idea what a RE does, or that they even existed. They assumed that an OB/GYN could handle all fertility issues. So, what makes a RE different from an OB/GYN?

Basically, a RE is an OB/GYN who has received additional, extensive training and certification in infertility issues.

Let’s take a look at the training Board Certified OB/GYNs and REs receive in the United States.

Board Certified OB/GYNs have…

• completed medical school
• completed a residency in obstetrics/gynecology
• passed oral and written exams in obstetrics/gynecology
• completed two years of practice experience

Board Certified REs have…

• completed all the requirements listed above for OB/GYN Board Certification
• completed a fellowship in reproductive endocrinology
• passed oral and written exams in reproductive endocrinology
• completed two years of practice experience

It’s important to notice how much extra training and experience a RE has. While a visit to the OB/GYN can be helpful in discovering basic infertility issues, your OB/GYN should not hesitate to refer you to a RE, when appropriate.

For more information on infertility and National Infertility Awareness Week (NIAW), check out the links below:

• http://www.resolve.org/infertility-101 (Basic understanding of the disease of infertility)
• http://www.resolve.org/national-infertility-awareness-week/about.html (About NIAW)

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