Fertility Tests For Men & Women

Clinic & Home Fertility Testing

Couples who desire to have children usually do not subject themselves to fertility testing. This is simply because they do not want to think that “something is wrong” with them, or they may feel confident that they will be able to conceive successfully.

However, having yourself subjected for a fertility test has its own advantages. For others, they simply want to know if they are indeed fertile for them to discontinue contraceptive measures currently used and adapt safe sex practices.

As rule of thumb, if the woman is younger than 35 years of age, she should be referred after one year of infertility; if older than 35 years, after 6 months of infertility. Referral is recommended sooner for older women because of possible age limitations associated with adoption, IVF and embryo transfer which are common alternatives to natural childbearing.

A basic fertility test will begin with a health history and physical examination of both sexual partners. Because of the wide variety of factors that may be responsible for infertility, it is important that a history be thorough. History should include assessment of general health, nutrition, alcohol, drug or tobacco use, congenital health problems, illnesses or previous operations, past and current occupation and work habits. For women, it is important to note the age of menarche, length, regularity and frequency of menstrual periods, amount of flow, dysmenorrhea, and history of contraceptive use and of any previous pregnancies or abortions. It is also important to document frequency of coitus and sexual practices.

Male Fertility Test – Fertility Testing for Men

The most common fertility testing for men is semen analysis. The male is requested to abstain from sex for 2-4 days and is then asked to ejaculate semen into a clean, dry specimen jar by masturbation. Within an hour, the spermatozoa are examined under a microscope. The number or sperm in the specimen are counted, and their appearance and motility are noted. An average ejaculation should produce 2.5 to 5.0 ml of semen and should contain a minimum of 20 million spermatozoa per millilitre of fluid. The analysis may need to be repeated after 2 or 3 months, because spermatogenesis is an ongoing process, and 30 to 90 days is needed for new sperm to reach maturity.

Any additional male fertility test will include urinalysis, a complete blood count, blood typing, a serologic test for syphilis, a test for the presence of human immunodeficiency virus, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, protein-bound iodine, cholesterol level, and gonadotropin, prolactin and testosterone levels.

Another test used to further evaluate male infertility is sperm penetration assay and antisperm antibody testing. For impregnation to take place, sperm must be mobile enough to reach the ova. Although sperm penetration studies are rarely necessary, they may be carried out to determine whether a man’s sperm, once they reach an ovum, can penetrate it effectively. With the use of an artificial reproductive technique such as IVF, poorly mobile sperm or those with poor penetration can be injected into the woman’s ovum under laboratory conditions, bypassing the need for sperm to be fully mobile.

Female Fertility Test – Fertility Testing for Women

The least costly way to determine a woman’s ovulation pattern is to ask her to record her basal body temperature for at least 1 month. To determine this, the woman takes her temperature each morning before getting out of bed or engaging in any activity. She plots this daily temperature on a monthly graph, noticing conditions that might affect her temperature. At the time of ovulation, the basal temperature can be seen to dip slightly and then rises to a level no higher than normal body temperature and stays at that level until 3 or 4 days before the next menstrual flow. Tracking your ovulation with an ovulation calculator helps reproductive specialists know whether you are ovulating or not. Ovulation testing can also be done using commercial test kits which are readily available.

Other Fertility Testing for Women performed by fertility experts involves measuring follicle stimulating hormone and luteinizing hormone levels in the blood. This is usually performed on the third day of your cycle. Other hormones which contribute to the reproductive process can also be assessed such as estradiol, progesterone, prolactin, free T3, total and free testosterone, DHEAS and androstenedione.

Cervical mucus tests involves a postcoital test which determines if the sperm is able to penetrate and survive in the cervical mucus. It may also include a bacterial screening. An ultrasound test is used to assess the thickness of the lining of the uterus, monitor follicle development and check conditions of the uterus and ovaries.

Further Female Fertility Tests are used to evaluate a woman’s reproductive organs. Tubal patency can be assessed through a sonohysterography or hysterosalpingography. Sonohysterography is an ultrasound technique designed for inspecting the uterus. The uterus is filled with sterile saline, introduced through a narrow catheter inserted into the uterine cervix. A transvaginal ultrasound transducer is then inserted into the vagina to inspect the uterus for abnormalities such as septal deviation or the presence of a myoma. This is a minimally invasive technique which can be done at any time during the menstrual cycle. In hysterosalpingography, a radiopaque medium is used to assess tubal patency. This is scheduled immediately after menstrual flow to avoid reflux of menstrual debris up the tubes and unintentional irradiation of a growing zygote. The radiopaque material outlines the uterus and both tubes, provided that the tubes are patent. After the study, the contrast medium drains out through the vagina.

Uterine endometrial biopsy may be used as a test for ovulation or to reveal an endometrial problem such as a luteal phase defect. If the endometrium resembles a corkscrew, this suggests that ovulation has occurred. Endometrial biopsy are being performed less commonly, having been replaced with serum progesterone level evaluations. The biopsy is usually done 2 or 3 days before the expected menstrual flow. After a paracervical block, a thin probe and biopsy forceps are introduced through the cervix.

Hysteroscopy is visual inspection of the uterus through the insertion of a hysteroscope, a thin, hollow tube through the cervix. This is helpful if uterine adhesions or other abnormalities were discovered on the hysterosalpingogram.

Laparoscopy is the introduction of a thin, hollow, lighted tube through a small incision in the abdomen, just under the umbilicus, to examine the position and state of the fallopian tubes and ovaries. It is rarely done unless the results of utero-salpingography are abnormal.

Fertility testing methods help couples learn what to expect from a possible pregnancy, ease anxiety and help answer questions. Once you and your partner undergo these tests, you are both on your way to paving a path towards that much awaited parenthood.