Most couples may appear to be healthy and fit on the outside, but they may be dealing with fertility concerns that have never surfaced and, as a result, have gone unnoticed. Many tests that we wanted to take were put on hold because we were too preoccupied with planning our lives, careers, homes, and finances to think about our kids.
With the modern medical diagnosis introduced in the infertility treatment and pregnancy planning, we have the choice to select the appropriate time for getting pregnant and prepare our homes and environment to welcome and nurture the baby.
Given how simple it is to postpone our pregnancy, it comes as a huge surprise to learn that we may not be able to conceive at the time we had anticipated. As a result, every incidence of infertility that most couples confront has a strong emotional subtext. At this early stage, basic inquiries must be answered, and the focus of attention must be on the couple, as either or both of them may be infertile.
What is the length of time that the couple has been sexually active together?
In most circumstances, couples should try for a year to conceive naturally before considering an infertility treatment. Each month, there is just a 48-hour window of fertility for fully healthy, normal couples, with a 20% probability of conception and implantation in any given cycle. As a result, even couples who have no reproductive issues may take many months to conceive.
You’ve had a miscarriage or struggled to conceive in the past.
If one or both partners have already undergone infertility treatment, there is a good chance that the same issue may arise again. It may be essential to seek treatment right away or after three to six months of attempting to conceive naturally, depending on the cause of infertility. To get a recommendation based on your specific situation, talk to your doctor or a fertility specialist. If you’ve had two or more miscarriages or have a family history of recurrent pregnancy loss, you should talk to your OB-GYN before trying to get pregnant. Depending on your condition, infertility treatment may, or may not be required, but you will undoubtedly require thorough monitoring throughout your pregnancy.
Your menstrual cycles have become irregular or have stopped altogether.
For a variety of reasons, women whose menstrual periods do not come at regular intervals may have difficulty becoming pregnant. One of these is the difficulty in determining ovulation when cycles are not consistent in duration. It’s also possible that ovulation is being hampered by a hormone imbalance, or that a medical issue is interfering with conception and implantation. After six months of attempting to conceive naturally or sooner if a physician recommends it, women with irregular periods should consider infertility treatment.
Early menopause, also known as premature ovarian failure, can result in the complete cessation of the monthly cycle in younger women due to medical problems such as anorexia nervosa or polycystic ovarian syndrome, or early menopause. Menstruation is a major indicator of infertility, regardless of the cause, and women who do not menstruate should seek medical help.
You are a woman over 35 years old.
Unfortunately, after the age of 35, a woman’s fertility begins to drop rapidly. A woman in her late thirties will have a considerably tougher time conceiving and bringing a baby to term than a woman in her late twenties due to diminished egg quality and quantity, hormonal alterations, and other variables. As a result, it’s preferable not to wait the whole year that most couples are advised to have a fertility assessment. However, if a woman is healthy and has no other infertility risk factors, she should try to conceive naturally for six months before seeking infertility treatment.
You or your partner suffer from or have suffered from a reproductive problem.
Women with endometriosis, PCOS, PID, or any sort of pelvic infection or tubal illness are likely well aware of the impact their condition has on their fertility. Women may be encouraged to seek infertility treatment as soon as they decide to become pregnant or after as long as six months of trying to conceive without success, depending on the severity of the condition. If you have any of these conditions and are unsure about when to pursue infertility treatment, consult your regular doctor or a fertility expert.
Similarly, after six months of attempting to conceive naturally, men who have or have had any problem linked to the testicles, prostate, or other reproductive organs, or any type of hormonal imbalance, should consider infertility treatment.
You or your partner are infected with or have been infected with a sexually transmitted disease.
If one or both the partners have any sexually transmitted disease (STD), it is important to get medical help before attempting to conceive. Many different STDs can induce temporary or permanent infertility, but an active disease can also endanger the child’s health if pregnancy occurs. Before attempting to conceive, if the STD is curable, it should be treated and totally resolved. In the case of a lifelong condition, specific precautions must be taken during the conception process and pregnancy to preserve everyone’s health.
Certain STDs can cause long-term damage that persists even after a person has been cured of the condition. If one or both partners had previously received treatment for STD and the couple had been trying to conceive for at least six months.
Be positive and patient.
Tests for diagnosing infertility
Tests for men
The testicles must create enough healthy sperm, and the sperm must be ejaculated effectively into the vagina and go to the egg in order for male fertility to be achieved. Male infertility tests are used to see if any of these systems are dysfunctional.
A male has to go through a general physical exam, including examination of the genitals. The following fertility tests may be performed:
- Semen analysis: One or more sperm samples may be requested by your doctor. Masturbation or pausing intercourse and ejaculating your semen into a clean container are the most common methods for obtaining sperm. Your sperm is tested at a laboratory. The presence of sperm in the urine may be evaluated in some cases.
- Hormone testing: A blood test may be performed to detect your testosterone and other male hormone levels.
- Imaging: Imaging procedures such as a brain MRI, transrectal or scrotal ultrasonography, or a test of the vas deferens (vasography) may be used in some cases.
- Genetic testing: Genetic testing may be performed to identify if infertility is caused by a genetic problem.
- Testicular biopsy: A testicular biopsy may be conducted in some circumstances to uncover anomalies that contribute to infertility or to harvest sperm for assisted reproductive procedures like IVF.
- Other specialty testing: Other tests to check the quality of the sperm, such as examining a semen specimen for DNA fragmentation, may be conducted in some conditions such as unexplained infertility or miscarriages.
Tests for women
Women’s fertility is dependent on their ovaries producing healthy eggs. The reproductive tract must allow an egg to move through the fallopian tubes and fertilise with sperm. The fertilised egg must make its way to the uterus and implant itself in the lining. Female infertility tests look to see if any of these functions are failing.
You may be subjected to a general physical examination, which may include a gynaecological examination. Tests for fertility may include:
You may be subjected to a general physical examination, which may include a gynaecological examination. Tests for fertility may include:
- Ovarian reserve testing: The quantity of eggs available for ovulation is determined by this test. Hormone testing early in the menstrual cycle is a common first step in this method.
- Ovulation detection: Ovulation can be detected using a number of methods, including LH urine test kits, transvaginal ultrasound, endometrial biopsies, hormone blood tests, and the basal body temperature (BBT) chart.
- Hormone testing: Other hormone tests look at ovulatory hormones and pituitary hormones like TSH and prolactin, which regulate reproductive activities. Prolactin is a hormone that regulates the amount of prolactin in the body. Thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) levels in the blood are measured by this test. Blood tests such as AMH (anti mullerian hormone) and ultrasound are reliable tests for diagnosing egg production abnormalities.
- Imaging tests: Ultrasound of the uterus and ovaries is used to detect uterine or ovarian illness. A sonohysterogram, also known as a saline infusion sonogram, is sometimes used to examine details inside the uterus that a normal ultrasound cannot reveal. Hysterosalpingogram (HSG) is another fertility test recommended to examine congenital uterine anomalies, uterine scar tissue, fibroid tumors or polyps.
- Genetic testing: Infertility testing also involves genetic tests such as karyotyping, PGT or DNA sequencing of specific genes for women with unexplained infertility concerns.
Depending on the situation, a patient may be subjected to the following tests:
- Hysteroscopy: Your doctor may recommend a hysteroscopy to test for uterine disease based on your symptoms. Your doctor will put a small, lighted instrument through your cervix into your uterus to view any potential abnormalities during the procedure.
- Laparoscopy: Laparoscopy involves making a small incision behind your navel and inserting a thin viewing equipment to examine your fallopian tubes, ovaries, and uterus is all part of this minimally invasive procedure. Endometriosis, scarring, blockages or abnormalities of the fallopian tubes, and problems with the ovaries and uterus can all be detected with a laparoscopy.
Before the cause of infertility is diagnosed, not everyone needs all, or even many, of these tests. You and your doctor will select which tests to have and when they will be done.
