Unexplained infertility is infertility that is idiopathic in the sense that its cause remains unknown even after an infertility work-up, usually including semen analysis in the man and assessment of ovulation and fallopian tubes in the woman. In unexplained infertility abnormalities are likely to be present but not detected by current methods. Possible problems could be that the egg is not released at the optimum time for fertilization that it may not enter the fallopian tube, sperm may not be able to reach the egg, fertilization may fail to occur, transport of the zygote may be disturbed, or implantation fails. It is increasingly recognized that egg quality is of critical importance and women of advanced maternal age have eggs of reduced capacity for normal and successful fertilization. Also, polymorphisms in folate pathway genes could be one reason for fertility complications in some women with unexplained infertility. Aberrant reproductive immunology such as decreased maternal immune tolerance towards the embryo may also be a possible explanation. However, a growing body of evidence suggests that epigenetic modifications in sperm may be partially responsible. Prognosis in unexplained infertility depends on many factors, but can roughly be estimated by e.g. the Hunault model, which takes into account female age, duration of infertility/subfertility, infertility/subfertility being primary or secondary, percentage of motile sperm and being referred by a general practitioner or gynaecologist. There are a variety of social stigmas that surround male infertility throughout the world. A lot of research has pointed to the relationship between infertility and emasculation. In places like Egypt,  Zimbabwe, and Mexico, erectile dysfunction also known as impotence, is considered a determinant of infertility. When stereotypical ideals of manhood are virility and strength, men sharing problems of infertility can face feelings of inadequacy, unworthiness, and have thoughts of suicide. In many cases, a variety of socio-economic interventions come in play to determine penile activity. For the Shona people, since impotence is linked to infertility, an examination to check on the penile function spans from infancy to post marriage. At infancy, there are daily check-ups by the mothers on the son's erection and urine quality. When the son reaches puberty, they are asked to ejaculate in river banks and for their male elders to examine sperm quality. The traditions last until post-marriage, when the family of the bride take part to check on consummation and the groom's sperm quality.

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