Fertility Testing FAQs
What to expect from your initial fertility consultation?
Infertility testing or workup is performed by either your OBGYN, Urologists and or fertility specialists. At RMA we can usually complete an infertility work-up in 30-days or less. Certain hormones such as follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), anti-mullerian hormone (AMH), and estrogen (estradiol E2) can provide important clues about female fertility especially egg quality and quality. For men, a semen analysis can provide a critical understanding of sperm motility or morphology.
Frequently Asked Questions
Fertility testing for women includes bloodwork, ultrasound, hysterosalpingogram (HSG), and/or a saline sonogram to evaluate hormone levels, ovarian function, and the uterine cavity. These tests will help your doctor determine egg quality and quantity, as well as to detect uterine abnormalities.
Hormones control every step in achieving pregnancy, from stimulating the development of an egg to ovulation and implantation of a fertilized egg in the uterus. Blood tests evaluate hormone levels, such as AMH, FSH, and LH to help determine the quality and quantity of a woman’s eggs.
HSG stands for hysterosalpingogram. An HSG is a 15-minute office procedure that checks for scar tissue, polyps, fibroids, or other growths that may be blocking the fallopian tubes or preventing a fertilized egg from implanting properly in the uterus.
A saline sonogram allows a doctor to see abnormalities inside the uterine cavity that would otherwise not be detected by a pelvic ultrasound.
An ultrasound helps monitor ovulation, diagnose ovarian cysts or fibroids, and evaluates the thickness of uterine lining. An ultrasound is also used to monitor a patient’s ovaries during fertility treatment such as IVF.
A hysteroscopy is a minimally invasive surgical procedure that allows a fertility specialist to diagnose and treat a patient’s cervix and uterus for conditions such as uterine polyps, fibroids, and adhesions. It may also be used to diagnose problems with scar tissue, implantation failure, and uterine lining disorders.
A hysteroscopy is performed under general anesthesia and is painless. After the procedure, a patient may experience mild to moderate cramping for the rest of the day. It is not uncommon for some light spotting during the first 24 hours after the procedure.
Fertility patients will need to refrain from consuming food or drink beginning at midnight the night before their scheduled hysteroscopy. You may take medications with a sip of water the morning of the surgery. Patients are required to arrive one hour before their surgery.