Infertility or lowered fertility is a growing modern trend that owes itself to lifestyle factors, environmental pollution and a variety of other factors, making fertility tests for women a commonly preferred option. We look at some frequently asked questions about women’s fertility tests below –
When should fertility tests for women be considered?
The rule of thumb is that if a couple does not conceive after 12 months of intercourse (without use of contraceptives) then the couple may be deemed infertile if the woman is younger than 34 years of age.
If the woman is over 35, and 6 months of contraceptive free intercourse yields no results, then the couple can be considered infertile.
Worldwide, one in seven couples may have trouble conceiving, so infertility is a very common problem so when infertility is confirmed, fertility tests should be considered.
The following female fertility tests options are available:
Home fertility tests for women – The FSH Test can help a woman test her egg supply and gauge whether she has requisite the levels of follicle stimulating hormones.
The Ovulation predictor consists of a kit much like a home pregnancy test kit and measures the level of the Luteinizing hormone (LH) in the urine which indicates when a woman is ovulating – the levels of this hormone are highest at the time of ovulation, so intercourse can be timed to coincide with the woman’s more fertile time of month.
The Basal Body Temperature test tells you when you’re ovulating by measuring the temperature of the body that gets slightly elevated at the time of ovulation. A more recent fertility test for women is the OV Watch that measures levels of sodium chloride ions in sweat to predict ovulation.
Blood Fertility tests for women – Some of these are professionally performed versions of the home fertility tests described above. The Day 3 FSH test measures the levels of the follicle stimulating hormone and hence the quality of eggs that a woman has.
The Plasma Progesterone tests measures levels of that hormone in the body to gauge if low progesterone levels are responsible for infertility. The Estradiol test on the other hand measures estrogen levels to see if that is the reason for infertility.
Additionally the luteal hormone and follicle stimulating hormone tests also try to pinpoint the reason for a woman’s infertility and to try and find out if the problem if that of the male partner.
Other fertility tests for women – General pelvic health of a woman can be assessed by a general abdominal ultrasound. On the other hand a clearer image of the inside of the uterus can be obtained by a trans-vaginal ultrasound where the probed is inserted via the vaginal opening.
A Sonohystogram uses saline or sterile water to inflate the abdomen to get a clearer view of the insides. An endometrial biopsy gives the doctor an idea of any physical problems that block conception – this is generally used for woman who have suffered multiple miscarriages.
Other tests such as laparoscopy, hysteroscopy, falloposcopy, Hysterosalpingogram and other fertility tests for woman may also be performed as required.
It is very important for women to be knowledgeable about their bodies in relation to fertility. There is a lot to learn in baby-making beyond the “birds and the bees”. This is a nice guide for women trying to conceive.