Fertility Tests
In order to recommend a treatment that is tailored precisely to your unique needs, the first step is establishing an accurate infertility diagnosis. Infertility may be caused by many different conditions, and your doctor can often establish a cause with a review of your medical history and a few simple tests.
At Shady Grove Fertility we’ve streamlined the diagnostic process. Our physicians do not require repeat testing if you have completed previous testing within 1 year. The initial work-up includes standardized fertility tests for both the male and female partner. Most often, this testing is covered by insurance.
The fertility work-up
When you meet with a fertility specialist for your initial consult, they will outline for you a diagnostic plan—or infertility work-up—tailored specifically for you, which will help determine the cause of your infertility. The physician will base the testing schedule on the information provided by your medical history, and a physical examination. This plan will focus on answering many important questions, including the following:
- Are you ovulating?
- Are your Fallopian tubes normal?
- Is your uterus receptive to implantation?
- Are the sperm normal in number and function?
The tests performed to diagnose infertility are typically referred to as prescreening tests. Before you start treatment, it is critical for your physician to identify any potential obstacles to achieving a pregnancy. They will make this determination based on the results of the male and female prescreening tests. Testing is individualized, so you may only need select tests as part of your prescreening process.
Once your physician establishes a diagnosis, they will design a custom treatment plan that best suits your individual needs. The recommended, personalized approach will depend on your age, diagnosis, the duration of infertility, any previous treatments, and, of course, your preferences.
A thorough work-up is key to helping patients achieve their family-building goals. The specialists at Shady Grove Fertility are committed to making the diagnostic process as streamlined, efficient, and personalized as possible to ensure you receive the very best care.
Infectious disease testing and immunity screening
Through a simple blood test, a clinician will perform infectious disease testing on all partners. This testing—while not directly related to your fertility or ability to conceive—helps to ensure a healthy pregnancy and baby. For your convenience, you may complete this testing at an outside laboratory at any point in time. Speak with your medical care team for recommendations on where to get this testing completed.
For the health and safety of the baby and pregnancy, all patients—including both partners, as applicable, even if using a donor—will undergo infectious disease screening. For patients preparing for pregnancy, preconception labs will also be done. We encourage all patients to undergo genetic carrier screening, unless using an egg or sperm donor, in which case the donor will have some form of genetic carrier screening.
We must have a record of negative infectious disease results documented every 12 months.
