An adhesion is scar tissue that can make the tissue or organs inside your body stick together. All organs in your abdominal cavity are covered with smooth, slippery tissue allowing organs to slide past each other. However, when the surface becomes damaged and inflamed, scar tissue forms, which allows organs stick to each other. These bands of scar tissue are called adhesions.

Adhesions cause infertility as they form inside or around the ends of the fallopian tubes, which may block an egg and sperm from meeting. If the tubes are partially blocked by adhesions, sperm may meet the egg, but the fertilized embryo may be trapped, resulting in an ectopic pregnancy. Adhesions that develop on the ovaries may disrupt ovulation and those that develop inside the uterus may prevent a fertilised egg from implanting properly.