Fertility

Trying For A Baby? When To Seek Help.

When Should I See A Fertility Specialist?

Infertility is defined as being unable to fall pregnant after:

• 12 months of regular unprotected sex if you’re under 35
• 6 months if you’re over 35.

When To See A Fertility Specialist Straight Away

Females

For females, see your fertility specialist if you’ve been diagnosed with or treated for:

• irregular or absent periods
• PCOS or endometriosis
• tubal damage (or previous tubal ligation surgery)
• recurrent miscarriage
• premature menopause
• known genetic concerns.

Males

For males, see your fertility specialist if you’ve been diagnosed with:

• low sperm count
• poor sperm shape (morphology) or movement (motility)
• antisperm antibodies
• ejaculatory concerns
• absence of sperm (azoospermia)
• known genetic concerns
• issues from a prior vasectomy

Making An Appointment

You need to make an appointment to see a fertility specialist near you.

What Are The First Steps?

Your fertility specialist will start with a review of your general health and medical history, before deciding on which routine test or procedures are appropriate.

For females, tests may include:

• pelvic ultrasound
• a blood tests on day 2-5 of your cycle to measureFollicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), Luteinizing Hormone (LH), Thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), Prolactin
• screening for HIV, Hep B and Hep C (blood test).
• Rubella (German measles) and varicella (chickenpox) immunity (blood test)
• ovarian reserve blood test.

For males, tests may include:

• semen analysis to check for sperm antibodies and possible infections
• screening for HIV, Hep B and Hep C (blood test).

Some men need to have 2 semen analyses.