More than 80% of women under the age of 40 years are likely to conceive naturally in a year if they have unprotected sex two to three times a week, according to the NHS. You can always tell if you belong to this population by undergoing a Fertility Exam. You might as well go for a general Health Check on top of the exam as such a full health profile as it includes fertility. Perhaps also there’s an upcoming condition that needs addressing before you even consider conceiving.

So how do doctors determine whether or not you can conceive? What is the diagnosis process like, and how credible are the exam results? What should I expect? This article answers these questions.

When should you consider a Hormone Fertility Exam?

Do you doubt your fertility? Are you showing signs indicating that you’re probably not ready for pregnancy? You can always prove yourself right or wrong by undergoing a fecundity assessment.

You can also try to conceive first and then seek help if you fail. It’s actually advisable to go with this option if you’re still young (below 35 years) and leading a healthy lifestyle. You should, however, not hesitate to go for an examination if you have been having sex regularly over the past 12 months and haven’t conceived.

You can also order a Fertility Exam kit online and assess yourself from home. This method is way cheaper and may be the better option overall if you are not available for tedious physical appointments. You will only need to find an online health diagnostics provider and place your order for a kit. This process assesses your hormones and provides insights about your fertility.

Self Assessment

If you want to simply assess your general wellness before deciding to conceive, you may not need to avail yourself in a lab either. You can undergo a Health Check from your home to identify any underlying issue that could affect you. Where it becomes necessary to show up in person is when you have to be treated for an illness such as a sexually transmitted infection (STI) or some other moderate-to-severe health condition.

Here, for a Hormone Fertility assessment, it’s more than your ability to conceive being assessed. It’s also your overall health and the health of the baby you’re intending to carry. Your GP will run a full body Health Check, determine whether you can conceive, and provide guidance on whether you should go on and get pregnant or not.

What is needed during a Fertility Exam for Women?

Doctors don’t have a predetermined set of questions that they ask during a private Health Check. They acknowledge the uniqueness of cases and the fact that people lead different lifestyles and have different medical histories. Here is what your physician may consider.

Whether you have been pregnant before

Whether you have carried successful pregnancies before is among the first things your GP will want to know. Previous complications such as miscarriages and premature deliveries are all crucial when assessing fertility.

For how long have you tried to conceive?

As shown earlier, over 6 in 7 couples in the UK conceive in the first year of having regular unprotected sex. Over half of the ones that don’t conceive in the second year. Your doctor wants to know how long you’ve been trying to get pregnant so they can decide whether to suggest a treatment plan or ask you to try some more.

Whether you have been using contraceptives

Some contraceptive methods take several weeks to a few months to stop working. Your doctor will want to rule out the possibility of contraception-induced infertility before exploring more serious causes like underlying medical conditions.

Your lifestyle and habits

Habits often associated with the inability to conceive include cigarette smoking and alcohol use. Be open with your GP even if it makes you feel uncomfortable discussing some issues. And don’t be worried about discussing any use of illegal drugs, as the doctor is legally bound to keep secret the information you share with them.

Your medical history and medication

Some diseases and medications are known to cause infertility in women either temporarily or permanently.

The Physical, Full Health Checkup Ovarian Cancer CA125

The information you provide in the initial phase of the exam determines how the rest of the appointment goes. The physical exam will almost always take place, though. Some of the things your doctor will want to know are your BMI and whether or not you exhibit signs of ovarian tumours, endometriosis, fibroids, pelvic inflammatory disease, and other common causes of infertility.

Other ways doctors check for infertility

Several factors will dictate the comprehensiveness of the type of exam chosen. If you are under treatment or have recently recovered from a disease, for instance, some extra checks will be run to determine if the medication is still in your system. The same applies if you have used contraception recently, which can affect the data.

Furthermore, the assessment will also entail a physical exam and the following checks:

  • An ultrasound scan to inspect your reproductive organs
  • Blood scan to check for the presence of the hormones progesterone and gonadotropin
  • X-ray scan to check for potential fallopian tube blockage.
  • Laparoscopy, in which a minute camera is inserted into your tummy through a surgical incision to examine your uterus, fallopian tube, and ovaries
  • STI assessment

You may be subjected to more checks and scans depending on the complexity of your case. But don’t fret; it rarely ever gets that serious. Better yet, you may never have to go through all this if you use a checkup kit regularly in the first place. The DIY home kits are just as effective as in-person assessments if sourced from the right place and used correctly.

Conclusion Pregnancy and Health Concerns

If you are trying to conceive and carry a healthy pregnancy, there are things you cannot overlook. A female and male Fertility Exam is one of them. This is a simple process that you can carry out at home or undergo in one appointment at a clinic and rid yourself of so many unnecessary worries. Hopefully, you’re now familiar with it and can plan a visit to the doctor knowing what to expect.