Facts to Know About Fertility Screening

Fertility screening is an essential process that can give you an idea of how easy or difficult it is to get pregnant. Most couples usually go for fertility screening after months of unsuccessfully trying to get a baby. Screening can also help to diagnose potential causes of infertility and possible treatments. There are numerous interesting facts about fertility screening that you should know, some of which are highlighted below.

Fertility Screening Involve Medical History Evaluation

Before any tests are done, a medical history evaluation is usually done. The doctors usually ask questions about conditions that might affect fertility, such as sexually transmitted diseases, diabetes, and thyroid disease. The doctors can also ask questions related to your lifestyle and sex life. Being completely transparent during the evaluation is essential.

There Are Many Types of Fertility Tests

There is a wide variety of tests that can be performed to determine fertility. The choice of tests is usually dependent on factors such as symptoms, medical history, and age. Most doctors usually start with a blood test. Blood tests can measure various hormones such as stimulating follicle hormone, luteinizing hormone, prolactin, thyrotrophin, and androgens. An AMH test can be done for an older woman to determine the number of eggs the woman has left. Urine tests are also quite common, alongside hysterosalpingography, an x-ray of the fallopian tubes and uterus that allows doctors to check for blockages and other abnormalities.

Screening Results Are Not Always a Guarantee That You Will Get Pregnant

A majority of people think that if their screening results indicate everything is normal, they will get pregnant without any problems. Most people do end up getting pregnant, but there is always a possibility that you can fail to get pregnant even when everything appears to be normal. On the flip side, there is also the possibility of still getting pregnant, even when the screening results indicate that you may have problems.

Fertility Screening Is for Both Men and Women

Contrary to what many people think, fertility screening is not for women only. Most doctors usually recommend that both the man and woman go for testing when trying to conceive a baby. The most basic fertility test for men is usually semen analysis. For that, a sample of semen is evaluated for sperm count, the shape of sperm cells, movement of sperm cells, volume of semen, presence of white blood cells, and various other aspects of male fertility.