Basic fertility study
En AMNIOS te hacemos un Estudio Básico de Fertilidad en una sola visita
Basic fertility study
En AMNIOS te hacemos un Estudio Básico de Fertilidad en una sola visita
What is infertility?
Infertility, according to the definition of the WHO (World Health Organization) and the ESHRE (European Society for Human Embryology and Reproduction), is “the inability to complete a pregnancy after a reasonable time of sexual intercourse without taking contraceptive measures”.
In women under the age of 3, we must consider that there is a fertility problem if she hasn’t been able to get pregnant after trying for approximately one year. Unfortunately, the female infertility rate has grown in recent years, given that women must increasingly postpone the age at which they can opt for maternity.
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Solve your fertility doubts.
What can we understand by normal fertility?
We consider it normal for a woman to take up to a year to get pregnant. It may seem like a long time, but it is the reality that emerges from fertility studies.
One of the determining factors in a woman’s fertility is age. By the end of the first year, between 80 and 90% of women under the age of 35 will have managed to become pregnant. However, between the ages 35 and 40, at the end of the first year the percentage of pregnant women does not exceed 70%. When the woman is over 40 years old, this percentage drops to 20%. When a woman exceeds those deadlines that we have mentioned, we can talk about the existence of female infertility and she should go to a specialist.
What is the difference between 'infertility' and 'sterility'?
The difference between “sterility” and “infertility” is that, in the first case, the woman has never managed to get pregnant. On the other hand, a patient with infertility achieves or has managed to become pregnant, but the pregnancy has not ended with the birth of a live child (as occurs, for example, in a case of repeated abortion).
Infertility and sterility are two terms that, although they lead to the same problem, that the couple cannot have a child, are completely different and their causes and treatments are also different.
If I don't get pregnant, is it the same problem as if I stay and have an abortion?
Although in both cases it is not possible to have a child, they are very different problems and whose causes are radically different. In fact, the studies and treatments in each case are completely different.
When should I worry?
It is considered that a couple has a probability of achieving a pregnancy each month that they seek it of approximately 25%. After 6 months, 60% of couples get pregnant and this percentage rises to 80% after one year.
For this reason, it is advisable to consult a specialist in assisted reproduction when pregnancy has not been achieved after one year of unprotected sexual intercourse.
When to go to the specialist in Assisted Reproduction?
In general, a woman who has been trying to get pregnant for a year (obviously with regular enough intercourse) without success should see her gynecologist initially. If the woman is over 35 years old, then it is recommended that she see a gynecologist 6 months after trying to get pregnant.
The causes of infertility are very varied; It is estimated that approximately 40% are due to an infertility problem in women, another 40% to an infertility problem in men, and another 20% to mixed problems.
Which specialist is the right one for my fertility problem?
The doctor with the appropriate training for the study, diagnosis and treatment of infertility is the Gynecologist specializing in Reproductive Medicine. After taking a detailed medical history, in most cases a basic fertility study is performed, although when the diagnosis is clear from the medical history, other complementary tests can be requested initially.
The specialist in Reproductive Medicine will be the one who will be able to determine the causes of the sterility and infertility problem and conclude if the problem is sterility in women, men or mixed. Once diagnosed, the doctor will prescribe the most appropriate treatment based on the causes of infertility or sterility detected.
Solve your fertility doubts
Tansvaginal ultrasound
Through transvaginal ultrasound we check the normality of the internal genital apparatus of the woman. In this ultrasound, the morphology of the uterus is studied (we can rule out many uterine malformations, or the existence of endometrial polyps, fibroids, etc.); The ovaries are also visualized (size, characteristics, presence of ovulatory signs if the ultrasound is done in the middle of the cycle, etc.).
Thanks to this test we can detect certain diseases or different types of cysts, some of which (such as endometriosis) can negatively affect fertility.
In addition, ultrasound allows us to assess the number of antral follicles (within which are the ovules) and thus obtain information about the ovarian reserve.
Hormonal determinations
Hormonal determinations in the study of infertility are made at two times of the cycle: on day 2-3 of the cycle, and on day 19-21 of the cycle. The levels of ovarian and pituitary hormones undergo a series of changes throughout the woman’s cycle, and therefore, to know if they are normal or not, they must be measured at the same moments to be able to compare them. Hormones commonly measured are follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), prolactin, and thyrotropic hormone (TSH).
The tests carried out in the first days of the cycle (basal) allow us to obtain information about the ovarian reserve. The hormones made on day 21 of the cycle allow us to know if ovulation occurs or not.
This test also allows us to detect some abnormalities of the luteal phase, such as luteal phase defect or hyperprolactinemia.
Seminogram
The seminogram or sperminogram is a very simple test through which we perform a basic analysis of the semen. Thanks to it, the following parameters are fundamentally measured: number of spermatozoa, their mobility and the percentage of spermatozoa with morphological abnormalities.
With the results of these tests we can know the cause of infertility in approximately 80% of couples. At the same time, this simple study allows us to guide the couple towards the most appropriate assisted reproduction treatment for their case.
On other occasions, more complementary tests may be necessary before treatment can start.
Supplementary tests
If the results of the previous tests, which we can consider routine or common to all patients, are not conclusive, the study would go ahead by carrying out different types of complementary tests. The variety of complementary tests within fertility studies is enormous. Many of them are very complex and specific tests that are only diagnostic in a few cases.
Usually, doctors request complementary tests as the clinical situation of the patients advises and depending on the particular needs and circumstances of each case, for having detected signs of a specific pathology or to clarify the inconclusive result of a test. basic.
What does the fertility study consist of?
At Amnios we offer you a basic fertility study in which we analyze, in a single visit, all the basic factors necessary for a pregnancy to occur.
If you have already undergone an In Vitro Fertilization cycle and have not achieved the expected success, do not be discouraged. That first cycle can give us a lot of information about how your ovaries and your eggs are working, and about what happens when eggs and sperm meet.
All this experience can be of great help to improve the procedures of subsequent cycles and improve the chances of pregnancy.
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