The fertility assessment is one of the first steps in your fertility journey. This in-clinic visit is vital to determining your reproductive goals, assessing your reproductive health, and developing a personalized fertility treatment plan.
It can be challenging and disappointing when natural conception is unsuccessful, especially when you are not sure why you are having trouble in the first place. Studies have shown that infertile couples experience significant anxiety and emotional distress during this time.
Our Tripod Fertility team is here to comfort you and provide you with all the information you need to understand a fertility assessment and feel supported throughout your journey with us. Deciding when to seek help can be difficult, however, we recommend starting with a fertility assessment to see what underlying issues may be causing your infertility.
Understanding Your Fertility
Many factors may be contributing to your difficulty in conceiving naturally. We recommend you consult with one of our fertility specialists when you have been trying to conceive for the last 12 months and have been unsuccessful. In addition, if you have previously been diagnosed with or treated for the following:
Females
- Irregular or absent periods
- PCOS or endometriosis
- Tubal damage (or previous tubal ligation surgery)
- Recurrent miscarriage
- Premature menopause
- Known genetic concerns
- Pelvic inflammatory disease
- Fibroids
- Adenomyosis
Males
- Low sperm count
- Poor sperm shape or movement
- Anti-sperm antibodies
- Ejaculatory or erectile concerns
- Absence of sperm
- Known genetic concerns
- Issues from a prior vasectomy
The first step for both females and males when uncovering infertility is reviewing your general health and medical history. With this information, your fertility specialist will decide which tests or procedures are needed to best understand your fertility difficulties.
Types of Fertility Tests
Blood work can tell us a lot about what is going inside your body and can give us clues as to what may be causing infertility. Both partners are required to complete blood work as part of a comprehensive assessment.
For female partners, hormonal blood work will be ordered for:
- AMH (Anti-Mullerian Hormone)
- TSH (Thyroid Stimulating Hormone)
- Prolactin
- FSH (Follicle Stimulating Hormone)
- LH (Luteinizing Hormone)
- Estradiol
- Progesterone
For male partners, hormonal bloodwork will be ordered for:
- TSH (Thyroid Stimulating Hormone)
- FSH (Follicle Stimulating Hormone)
- LH (Luteinizing Hormone)
- Testosterone
- Prolactin
Infectious screening
Infectious screening is part of the routine fertility work-up for all patients, sperm and egg donors and surrogates.
This blood work is mandatory to determine the presence of any blood borne viruses or infectious diseases. The presence of these infections can be a contributing factor to infertility and may affect your treatment. These infections can also be passed along during pregnancy, potentially jeopardizing a baby’s health. Apart from surrogates and sperm/egg donors, infectious disease results are valid for one year. Upon expiry, the blood work must be renewed annually to continue with treatment.
Further Tests
In some cases, further testing is required to understand the best path for your fertility treatment.
For female partners, a pelvic ultrasound is a routine test that allows us to examine the uterus and ovaries in detail. Utilizing both transabdominal and transvaginal scanning techniques, we can assess the size and shape of the uterus, along with assessing for any abnormalities and/or growths. We are also able to assess the size and features of ovaries, as well as the number of follicles each ovary contains. These are all factors that play a role in a woman’s fertility.
As part of the fertility assessment of the male partner, a semen analysis is usually performed.
The sample is analyzed by our andrology team who assesses sperm qualities that are important for fertilization such as: count, volume, appearance, pH, and motility. Ideally, a period of 2 to 5 days of abstinence is observed to collect the sample for semen analysis. Samples for semen analysis can be obtained in our collection rooms at the clinic or at the home of the patient with a special kit provided by the clinic.
Fertility Treatment
Fertility assessments could provide our team with the vital information if you chose to seek any of our fertility treatment options. Tripod Fertility will support you throughout the entire process and ensure you feel secure and informed at every junction.
Get in Touch to Learn More about our Fertility Assessment
If you are thinking about starting a family and want to learn more about fertility assessment, please do not hesitate to book an appointment online or with one of our administration staff via the phone. You are never alone.