Infertility Testing – not as scary as it sounds
Have you and your partner made the choice to go see the doctor then? Heck, I’d be a bit nervous too – especially with not knowing what to expect! But in truth, infertility tests are relatively standard, so it isn’t that hard to get an idea of what may be required. At your first appointment the doctor will ask a whole bunch of questions regarding your sexual and medical history, so be ready! You’ll probably have to have a physical too, and then if the doctor can’t see anything obviously wrong there you may have to get started on the next stage of testing.
Ladies first:
· Urine tests and blood tests – You may have to do a few urine tests throughout the month to check if you’re ovulating. These may also be used to check for thyroid dysfunction or to check if you have too much prolactin – the hormone that stimulates your body to produce milk and not ovulate – not good news if you don’t have a baby yet! The test will also test if you have any STDs.
· Postcoital test – Yup, you go for a test within hours of doing the baby dance, usually on the day before you ovulate. The aim is to confirm that the sperm actually get to the cervix and that they are still swimming strongly, although the test isn’t exceptionally reliable, which is not necessarily a distressing thing, or else they might do it more often and that’s no fun!
· Pap smear – You ought to have a pap smear at least once every two years anyway, but the doc will take a sample of cervical tissue to test for abnormal cells which can be a sign of cancer.
· Pelvic Examination – Also called the bimanual examination – two fingers in, two fingers out. The doctor could also use a speculum – a piece of equipment to look inside – and may also take samples for screening.
· Pelvic Ultrasound – This test uses sound waves to check for any structural problems.
· Laparoscopy – Requires one or two small incisions to insert a miniature camera and possibly a surgical instrument to check for any problems. The procedure is performed under anaesthetic.
· Sonohysterogram – Similar to an ultrasound but saline solution (salt water) is injected into the uterus. This is used to screen for any structural irregularities.
· Hysterosalpingogram – Fluid is squirted into the cervix and uterus to check via X-ray for obstructions in the fallopian tubes. This test is pretty cool because every so often the fluid itself unblocks the tubes!
· Endometrial Biopsy – A swab of the uterine lining is taken to monitor changes.
· Antibody test – This is a blood test to check if your immune system is killing the sperm before they get to the egg.
· Hysteroscopy – A tiny camera goes in through the vagina to look for any visible irregularities.
For the men:
· Blood tests – To determine FSH, LH and testosterone concentrations to determine if the guy has a pituitary gland problem, and also to screen for STDs.
· Semen analysis – This entails ejaculating into a sterile container provided by the doctor, at home or at the doctor’s rooms. They’ll want to find that there are lots of well-built spermies that are moving vigorously.
· Physical Examination of the Testicles – Normally part of the physical, it might be used to check for variococeles – large veins that make the testicle overheat and therefore damage sperm.
· Antibody test – To see that your immune system isn’t slaughtering the sperm before they even make it out the door.
· Ultrasound – To check if there are any abnormalities with your testicles.
· Testicular Biopsy – The doc will take a sample of tissue from the testicles to see if they contain sperm, especially if your semen doesn’t have any sperm in it.
You might also both have to go for genetic testing to see if you have any genetic conditions that may make you infertile. The easiest tests are done first and if no problem is found then extra testing may be needed. It could get fairly expensive so it is typically best to go for the simple tests first! The discomfort of having someone checking out your privates makes any physical discomfort even worse, but many of the tests are not uncomfortable at all.
Hopefully, all that infertility testing will offer you an idea of the reasons for you infertility and then you can take the next step of doing something about it. But on the other hand, once you’ve had all those tests you may still have no idea what is happening and that can be quite difficult. Either way, it is a helpful to have counseling for both of you all through the process and your infertility clinic will probably have specialized counseling available.
Here is more information on Reasons for Infertility. Here is a website with a free mini-course dedicated to Infertility.
