Basic tests for infertility.

Infertility is a sensitive issue. We’d like to shed some light on this and suggest a roadmap for couples to follow in cases of infertility. Remember, infertility can have multiple causes. The male and the female partner must be checked to arrive at the correct diagnosis. Many times the female has been tested repeatedly while the male partner has never been tested even once.

Here we will just list the basic tests for infertility and the requirements. Always consult a doctor before doing these tests.

Remember, the first day of bleeding in the cycle is considered to be Day 1.

Days 3-4 :

semen analysis of the male partner after abstinence of 3 days. This would give your doctor a significant amount of information about the sperm count, motility of the sperms, any abnormal appearance of the sperm etc.

 Sperm function tests are also carried out to gauge the ability of the sperm to fertilize the ovum. Sperm capacitation is one useful parameter to guide a doctor towards a particular line of treatment. Sperm that do not undergo capacitation portend a poor response to IVF, and ICSI should be considered.

Wife’s blood is tested for reproductive hormones mainly FSH, LH , Prolactin & TSH. These tests should ideally be done between days 3 and 5 of the menstrual cycle since the levels of these hormones fluctuate.

Days 5-8: After the menstruation has subsided, a hysterosalpingogram i.e an X-RAY would be   carried out  to judge the status of the Uterus and tubes.

All these tests would offer your doctor a basic idea of the uterus,tubes, eggs as well as the sperm.

Other tests :-

Day 12-16 : monitoring of ovulation  by ultrasound. The post-coital test can be planned in conjunction with this scan to judge the condition of the cervical mucus.

Day 21 : Serum progesterone levels(Wife’s Blood) can be done to gauge the quality of ovulation.

Day 21- 25: laproscopy with samping of the endometrium.

Other tests like semen oxidative stress, Sperm DNA fragmentation are also done. Kindly call us on 24469250 for further details about these since they are a little more complex and have their own set of indications.

Remember the following important points:

• These tests should be done together and not after a large time lag.
• If one problem is found, do not stop testing since the couple might have multiple problems.
• A single test is never as useful as repeated tests to confirm that the problem is chronic.
• After the problem/problems are identified correctly, an appropriate treatment solution would be possible in this era of advanced medical treatment.
• Remember the duration of infertility is the strongest indicator of aggressive treatment.
• If the duration of infertility is long, aggressive means to diagnose and treat the condition should be undertaken.

We hope that this helps out couples in need of some guidance. Do feel free to email us at phadkelabs@gmail.com