Fertility Testing for Women

Female fertility testing overview

• A woman should consider fertility testing if she has not achieved pregnancy after a year of having unprotected intercourse on a regular basis.
• Initial tests help identify a reason for infertility, focus on the most common causes and involve the least invasive approach possible.
• Imaging tests, physical exams, blood work and urine tests involve extremely little risk. Women may face risks associated with surgical procedures used in some tests, such as laparoscopy for abdominal cavity assessment and hysteroscopy for uterus examination.

What tests are used when diagnosing female infertility?

There are several tests used to check for female infertility. The infertility evaluation is individualized based on each woman’s specific circumstances. Some patients may need to undergo all tests available to diagnose the cause of infertility, while others will need only a few. The doctor will recommend what tests are best for each woman’s case.

Below are tests that a fertility doctor may recommend:

• General physical exam and medical history to check for any known infertility causes, like chlamydia and mullerian inhibiting factor.
• Ovulation tests and charts to determine ovulation.
• Uterus testing – such as vaginal ultrasound, hysterosalpingogram (HSG), sonohysterogram and hysteroscopy – can determine if fibroids, polyps, scarring or tumors have compromised the uterus’ ability to achieve and maintain a healthy pregnancy.
• Fallopian tube tests can determine that the tubes are clear and able to transport a sperm to the egg and the resulting embryo to the uterus.
• Hormone tests can evaluate various issues and include anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH), estradiol (a form of estrogen), progesterone levels, and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) testing.
• Other blood tests are useful to identify thyroid disorders and hyperprolactinemia, which may cause problems with fertility, menstrual irregularities and repeated miscarriages.