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Fertility Evaluation
Fertility Evaluation
Fertility Health With A Proactive Approach
At IHR we provide you with a thorough evaluation of your fertility health with a proactive approach to personalize protocol and treatment for women and men.
Fertility Evaluation Facts
- In about 40% of infertile couples, the man is the sole cause of a contributor of the infertility. (American Society of Reproductive Medicine)
- 1 in 8 couples have trouble getting pregnant or sustaining a pregnancy
- Women in their mid 20’s have upwards of a 30% chance of monthly pregnancy. By age 40, the likelihood drops to just 5%. (source)
- Great ways to combat infertility in men are losing weight, quitting smoking, and keeping the laptop off the lap.
Evaluation For Women
- Complete physical examination
- Uterine cavity study
- Sonohystogram or recent HSG
- Trial of transfer if IVF is to be done
- Lab appointment for blood draw on day 1-4 of your menstrual cycle to assess ovarian reserve. (Including FSH/estrogen/AMH/transvaginal sonogram for antral follicle count.)
Other Blood Tests Performed For Women
- Blood Type
- Hepatitis B serology
- Hepatitis C serology
- RPR serology
- HIV serology
- Thyroid serology
- Vitamin D
What to Do After an Infertility Diagnosis
- Medical and reproductive history evaluation
- Semen analysis
- Sperm function test
Other Blood Tests Performed For Men
- Blood Type and Rh factor screen
- Hepatitis B serology
- Hepatitis C serology
- RPR serology
- HIV serology
Get started with your fertility evaluation
Infertility Diagnostic Process
Common components of the evaluation and diagnostic process
- Day 3 Labs (Day 2-5 Of Menstrual Cycle) (FSH, LH, Estradiol)
- TSH
- Prolactin
- Rubella Titer (Checking for Immunity)
- Blood Type and Rh
- CBC
- CMP
- Trans-Vaginal Ultrasound
- Hysterosalpingogram
- Hysterosonogram
- Infectious Diseases (For Patient and Male Partner)
- Semen Analysis
- Pap-Smear (Performed by Your Primary Or OB/GYN)
- Genetic Screening (Blood Test)
- Physical Examination
- Medical Records from Previous Practices
Other tests/requests may include Androgens, Recurrent Pregnancy loss panel, Hemoglobin Electrophoresis; Karyotype, medical clearance and any other test that may help provide infertility answers or create a more detailed treatment plan for you. Any above test that has been completed in the last few months elsewhere will be accepted by IHR to avoid duplicated tests and reduce costs.In general, with the onset of your period, we can do all the lab tests in one visit (anytime between day 2 and 5 of your menstrual cycle). The first day of full flow is considered day 1. We ask that you call with your period during business hours, Monday-Friday between 8 am-4pm, to schedule an appointment for the next business day. During this visit, you will also have an ultrasound to evaluate your ovaries and uterus, do not worry if you are on your cycle for the ultrasound. If your period begins on Friday evening or over the weekend, you do not need to call after hours or on weekends. You can simply come in on Monday morning and we will take care of you. There is no need to panic as we can complete these labs tests up to day 5 of your period.
Estrogen / FSH (Follicle Stimulating Hormone) / LH (Luteinizing Hormone)
The assessment of these three hormones together during the early part of your menstrual cycle helps us evaluate the communication between your pituitary gland and your reproductive organs. The pituitary gland, located in the base of the brain, controls egg and hormone production. Some ovulatory disorders, as well as declining ovarian function, can be identified by characteristic patterns in the hormones. The best assessment of these hormones is between your menstrual cycle days 2-5. You may hear them referred to as “day 3 labs”.
TSH (Thyroid Stimulating Hormone)
This test evaluates thyroid function. Both high and low thyroid function can affect reproductive health including miscarriage or prevention of pregnancy.
Prolactin
Prolactin is another hormone produced by the pituitary gland that is responsible for promoting breast milk production. Sometimes this hormone can be elevated with abnormalities in the pituitary gland. A Prolactin level can be elevated without the presence of discharge from the breasts (galactorrhea). Elevated prolactin levels can cause ovulatory dysfunction.
AMH Level
AMH (anti-mullerian hormone) blood levels are thought to reflect the size of the remaining egg supply – or “ovarian reserve”. With increasing female age, the size of their pool of remaining microscopic follicles decreases. Likewise, their blood AMH levels and the number of ovarian antral follicles visible on ultrasound also decreases.Women with many small follicles, such as those with polycystic ovaries have high AMH hormone values and women that have few remaining follicles and those that are close to menopause have low AMH hormone levels.
Choosing the right physician
Getting pregnant and having babies should not be an impersonal experience. You can benefit in many ways when you find an infertility specialist who gets to know you and customizes a treatment plan to your individual needs and budget. You should always feel like a valuable partner in the process rather than like a number. If you are unhappy at one office, then you really should consider trying another office. Ultimately, couples who are comfortable seem to get pregnant more easily than couples with similar medical issues who have additional significant stress.
Explore your fertility treatment options with IHR.
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