The short explanation
Often yes. If one fallopian tube is open and you ovulate, an egg can still be picked up by the open tube, including sometimes from the opposite ovary. Many women with one open tube conceive naturally, though it may take longer. HSG results are also not perfect. A tube can appear blocked because it went into spasm during the test, so a blocked result is sometimes rechecked by another method, such as laparoscopy.
What depends on your situation
The parts of this that change from woman to woman. Uncertainty is stated, not hidden.
- What happens next depends on your age, how long you have been trying, whether you ovulate regularly, your partner's semen results, and the reason for the blockage, such as a past pelvic infection, endometriosis or surgery.
- If a blocked tube is swollen with fluid (hydrosalpinx), doctors may discuss treating it before IVF because it can reduce success rates.
- Options may include trying naturally for a while, IUI if the open tube is healthy, or IVF, which bypasses the tubes.
What this answer cannot determine
The boundary of online education. These need a clinician who can see you.
- This answer cannot tell whether your tube is truly blocked, why, or which treatment suits you. Your doctor needs your full results to judge that.
Questions for your clinician
Take these with you. You can add any of them to an appointment card.
- Is the blockage confirmed, or could it be spasm?
- Is the open tube healthy, and do I ovulate regularly?
- How long is it reasonable to try naturally before moving on?
- Is there fluid in the blocked tube that needs attention?
When to seek help
Clinician-approved guidance for this topic. When in doubt, being seen is never the wrong choice.
Emergency — call 112 now
- Call 112 or go to the nearest emergency department if you have a positive pregnancy test with severe pain on one side of the lower belly, pain in the shoulder tip, heavy bleeding, or you feel faint or collapse.
Book an appointment soon
- See a doctor within a few days if you have fever, worsening pelvic pain or unusual discharge after the HSG.
Raise it at a routine appointment
- Book a routine visit to review the HSG with your other results.
Sources
The evidence this explanation is built on.
- Infertility NHS
- Infertility MedlinePlus (NIH)
- Ectopic pregnancy NHS
Who wrote and reviewed this
Every AskHer answer names its author. A clinically reviewed answer also names the clinician who signed it off — if no clinician is named below, it has not been clinically reviewed.
- Author
- AskHer Editorial (AI-assisted draft) AskHer's editorial team — not an individual clinician Works in English, தமிழ், हिन्दी
- Clinical reviewer
- Nobody yet No clinician has signed this answer off, and no person on the editorial team has read it yet. That is what the “Written with AI assistance” label means. It is queued for an editor to read, and then for a clinician who works in this area. The sources it was drafted against are listed above.
- Review status
- Written with AI assistance — not yet reviewed by a person
- Last reviewed
- Not yet reviewed by a person
- Version
- 1
Correction history
Substantive changes are listed, not quietly edited away.
No corrections have been made since this answer was first published.
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