Pregnancy Care

Fertility Testing By A Fertility Specialist

We offer a range of fertility testing (fertility assessment) for females and males to keep you on track for your dream to have a baby.

Everybody’s fertility journey is different. You may have already had some tests with your GP or referring doctor. If so, your fertility specialist can review your results to suggest treatment options. If you haven’t had any tests, we can help.

Female Fertility Testing

Ovulation Testing & Tracking

Your fertility specialist will usually start by checking if you are ovulating, using an ovulation kit, blood test or ultrasound.

Ultrasounds are used to track the development of the follicles within the ovaries that contain immature eggs (primordial follicles) as they mature (leading or dominant follicles). Progress is tracked using transvaginal ultrasound, and blood tests for oestrogen and progesterone (female hormones). This helps determine the best time to have sex.

Pelvic Ultrasound

Your specialist might refer you for a pelvic ultrasound to assess your reproductive system, including the vagina, cervix, uterus, fallopian tubes, ovaries and other pelvic structures. It can help find answers if you’re experiencing:

• heavy, irregular or infrequent periods in premenopausal women
• pelvic pain
• infertility.

Pelvic ultrasounds can also check the ovaries and are used to diagnose polycystic ovaries.

You can have your pelvic ultrasound at a fertility specialist clinic.

Checking Fallopian Tubes

Your fertility specialist can check if your fallopian tubes are blocked or damaged by:

• laparoscopic surgery
• an x-ray
• a tubal patency test (dye test).

Ovarian Reserve (AMH) Blood Test

What Is My Ovarian Reserve?

Your ovarian reserve is the number of good eggs in your ovaries. Women are born with all the eggs they’ll ever have, and the quantity and quality deteriorates with age. From 35, your ovarian reserve declines at a rapid rate until you have 0 eggs at menopause. Ovarian reserves decline at an earlier age for women experiencing premature menopause.

What Is The AMH Test?

Anti-Mullerian Hormone (AMH) is produced by follicles in the ovaries which contain your eggs. The level of AMH in your blood is good indicator of your ovarian reserve – how many eggs you have remaining and how many fertile years ahead.

The test can only identify how many eggs you have left. Unfortunately, there’s no test for egg quality.

The AMH blood test to check your ovarian reserve can be done any time in your menstrual cycle.

You can complete the blood test if you are on the contraceptive pill.

Should I Have The Test Done?

You might want to have the AMH blood test if you:

• are having trouble conceiving
• want to check your ovarian reserve is at a healthy level for your age (you have a good number of eggs)
• are concerned about things that could have effected your reserve, such as chemotherapy
• want an idea of how many fertile years you may have ahead.

How Do I Complete The Test?

The AMH blood test is a specialised test. It’s important the results are analysed by a trained fertility expert. If you’d like to have the test, consult with a fertility specialist for more information.

Male Fertility Testing

Semen Analysis

Male infertility is the second biggest cause of infertility (after a woman’s age). So, a semen analysis is crucial to assess male fertility. The test can give accurate information about:

• Motility – how many sperm can swim
• Morphology – shape of the sperm
• Count – how many individual sperm in the sample
• Vitality – how healthy the sperm are and their chance of survival
• Anti-sperm antibodies – they can attach to the sperm’s tail and slow them down as they travel through the cervical mucus.

Preparing For A Semen Analysis

You will need a referral from your GP or fertility specialist.

It is important semen is analysed by trained scientists.