Medical Questions » Infertility Questions » Question No. 540
| Question: | How do doctors investigate couples who are infertile? I have heard al sorts of horror stories and I' m very worried about what may happen. |
| Answer: | Doctors start their investigations by checking the couple' s sexual habits. / woman is only fertile for four to six days a month, and if sex is infrequent, it i quite easy to miss these days.
The first step in specific testing is a sperm analysis in the man. The spern from an ejaculation is collected in a sterile container and must be examined ii a laboratory within two hours. The number of sperm, their shape and thei activity are all checked to ensure that they are adequate to fertilise the woman' egg. If these tests are normal, it is not usually necessary to perform any furthe. tests on the man.
In a woman, the first step is a temperature chart. This involves marking on ; graph the woman' s temperature immediately upon waking every morning, tht days of the period or other bleeding, and the days when intercourse ha; occurred. From this and a blood test, a doctor can often see problems witl ovulation. There is normally a rise in temperature for the second half of the cycl< after the egg has been released from the ovary.
After these simple tests, investigations become more complex. It is necessar) to exclude any blockage in the tubes leading from the ovary to the womb, anc to assess the woman' s hormonal and biochemical function by a series of blooc tests. A careful gynaecological examination is performed, and this may b« followed by special X-rays or ultrasound scans that outline the uterus (womb] and tubes. The final stage of investigation is an operation called a laparoscopy in which a small tube is poked through a cut in the lower part of the abdomen To prevent scarring, the navel is often used for this purpose. Through this tube the doctor can directly examine the female reproductive organs to detect an) problems.
Please be assured that although these investigations may not sound very nice you should suffer no more than discomfort and some indignity, as appropriate anaesthetics are given for the more invasive procedures.
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