How long should couples try before seeing a doctor?

Note on the name: in May 2026, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) was formally renamed polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome (PMOS), following a global consensus process. The old name was inaccurate — the condition affects multiple hormone and metabolic systems, not just the ovaries, and "polycystic" wrongly implies ovarian cysts. Nothing about the condition, its diagnosis or its treatment has changed. Both names will be used side by side for the next few years, and we use PCOS below since that is the term most people know.

The usual thresholds are 12 months of trying if you are under 35, and 6 months if you are 35 or over. These are guides, not rules, and there are good reasons to go sooner. See someone straight away, without waiting, if: your periods are irregular or absent; you have known or suspected endometriosis, PCOS, or previous pelvic infection or surgery; you have had two or more miscarriages; either partner has a known fertility concern; or you are 40 or over. The reason for the shorter threshold with age is not that conception becomes impossible, but that time itself becomes the scarce resource. Investigation and treatment take months, so waiting a full year at 38 costs more than waiting a year at 28. Early assessment is not a commitment to treatment. Often it is reassuring, and where something is found, knowing about it sooner widens your options rather than narrowing them. If you are unsure whether it is too early, it is reasonable to book anyway. No specialist will consider it a waste of time.