There are two basic types of home fertility tests for women: ovulation testing and testing involving a blood sample. Ovulation testing, according to Dr. Montes, involves urinating on a test strip and waiting for results to appear.
Many infertility tests, including the physical examination, medical history, and blood tests, can be done in your doctor's office or clinic by an obstetrician or reproductive endocrinologist. Your internist or family medicine physician may do some of the first tests. Tests on a man may be done by a urologist.
What Causes Infertility? Problems with ovulation are the most common reasons for infertility in women. A woman's age, hormonal imbalances, weight, exposure to chemicals or radiation and cigarette smoking all have an impact on fertility.
For your own peace of mind, it's best to get fertility testing done in your twenties, even if you're not actively trying to conceive. If you're under 35 and have been trying to conceive for over a year with no success, we would recommend meeting with a fertility specialist to arrange some fertility tests.
We usually recommend having an AMH blood test to measure ovarian reserve hormone called Anti Mullerian Hormone (AMH). This simple blood test provides a very good estimate of the number of eggs that you still have in your ovaries.
Hormonal imbalances, a past eating disorder, substance abuse, thyroid conditions, severe stress and pituitary tumors are all examples of things that can affect ovulation. Problems with egg number and quality: Women are born with all the eggs they will ever have, and this supply can “run out” early before menopause.
A woman in her early to mid-20s has a 25–30% chance of getting pregnant every month. Fertility generally starts to reduce when a woman is in her early 30s, and more so after the age of 35. By age 40, the chance of getting pregnant in any monthly cycle is around 5%.
Expenses for Fertility Testing
At-home kits fall in the $100 to $200 range, while costs in a healthcare provider's office or at a fertility clinic can vary.
If you've already been trying for at least a year, you can make an appointment with your GP to discuss your fertility . Because fertility tests and treatment can take time, see your GP sooner than this if you're over 35.
Doctors have tests to measure egg count.
There are two good ways to measure egg count: an antral follicle count and an AMH (anti-Müllerian hormone) test. During an antral follicle count, a doctor uses ultrasound to count the visible follicles.
Whether you're busy with your career or simply enjoying quality time with your partner, waiting to have children is very common. If you have concerns about waiting, though, a pre-pregnancy fertility test is a great way to mentally (and sometimes physically) prepare for your future.
The AMH Test
The level of AMH in a woman's blood helps doctors estimate the number of follicles in her ovaries; the more follicles a woman has, the more eggs she can release, and the better her chances of pregnancy.
A woman's peak reproductive years are between the late teens and late 20s. By age 30, fertility (the ability to get pregnant) starts to decline. This decline happens faster once you reach your mid-30s. By 45, fertility has declined so much that getting pregnant naturally is unlikely.
Peak male fertility is around 25-29 years old. Sperm quality begins to decline at 30. At 45, men begin to experience a significant decrease in semen volume. Older men can also take longer to conceive a child.
Some common reasons include stress, not timing baby-making sex with ovulation, residual effects of hormonal birth control, and certain health conditions. As much as we may try, pregnancy really can't really be planned—but you can increase your chances by being aware of common pitfalls.
However, there are many possible reasons why you aren't conceiving, including ovulation irregularities, structural problems in the reproductive system, low sperm count, underlying medical problems, or simply not trying enough.
For healthy semen samples collected between 5:00am and 7:30am were found to exhibit a statistically higher sperm concentration, total sperm count and a higher percentage of normally shaped sperm, compared to samples produced later in the day. Sperm motility was not influenced by the time of sample production.
How many sperm do you need to get pregnant? It takes just one sperm to fertilize a woman's egg. Keep in mind, though, for each sperm that reaches the egg, there are millions that don't. On average, each time men ejaculate they release nearly 100 million sperm.