Fertility Blood Test - Results Explained

Fertility & Hormone Testing for Women

A woman may undergo fertility and hormonal tests to determine a treatment plan by understanding more about her fertility through tests.

Blood tests

• Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH)

  The FSH results measure your egg quality and ovarian reserve. A normal FSH result indicates that your ovaries are functioning normally. An elevated FSH level (> 10) could suggest that you may have a decreased ability to conceive. FSH, or follicle-stimulating hormone, creates the environment for the maturation and release of follicles from the ovaries. An FSH blood test is typically performed on the second or third day of the menstrual cycle.

• Estradiol

  A "normal" estradiol range indicates that you can become pregnant. If estradiol levels are elevated (commonly above 80 pg/mL in early-cycle testing), this is considered high and could suggest that you have a reduced ovarian reserve.

• Progesterone

  Progesterone is usually tested during the second half of the menstrual cycle, about seven days after ovulation. The progesterone blood test is used to determine if ovulation has occurred; if its level is greater than or equal to 10 nanograms per millilitre, it may indicate that ovulation has occurred.

• Prolactin Hormone

  Hyperprolactinemia refers to an excess of prolactin. Women with hyperprolactinemia may experience menstrual irregularity or anovulation, as well as have trouble conceiving. For women who are not pregnant, hyperprolactinemia may cause lactation or the production of milk from the breasts.

• Testing for Fasting Blood Sugar

  A fasting blood glucose test will be used to determine whether you have diabetes or elevated blood glucose levels. For you to successfully go through infertility treatment, your blood glucose must be controlled within a normal range.

• Anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH)

  AMH tests determine the amount of a hormone secreted by the follicles of the ovary that contain eggs. Low levels of AMH indicate low quantities of eggs in the ovary, which means a lower chance of successful IVF.

• Rubella

  If a person is exposed to rubella during pregnancy and has no immunity to the virus, he/she may have serious birth defects. A blood test will be performed on the woman before she gets pregnant so that a healthcare professional will know if she is immune to the Rubella virus.

• Thyroid Hormone Level Testing

  Abnormal hormone production may indicate problems in your ability to conceive or maintain pregnancy, due to either an overactive (hyperthyroid) or underactive (hypothyroid) thyroid.

• Vitamin D Levels

  Vitamin D is essential for many body systems, including the reproductive system. Having adequate vitamin D levels may increase your chances of becoming pregnant and achieving successful IVF cycles.

Imaging for Medical Purposes

• Hysterosalpingogram (HSG)

  The Hysterosalpingogram (HSG) is a process that allows for visualisation of the shape of both the uterine cavity and the fallopian tube(s), along with the likelihood of infection, abnormality, or injury.

• Ultrasound

  There are two distinct types of pelvic ultrasounds: (1) Abdominal pelvic ultrasound: This is an external scan by placing the ultrasound transducer (the imaging tool) over the abdomen to capture a view of the organs in the pelvic region; and (2) Transvaginal ultrasound: A scan within a week or two of implantation in the uterus after fertilisation by inserting the ultrasound transducer into your vagina, so that a clearer picture of the embryo and/or a woman in the pelvic region is obtained.

Fertility and Hormone Testing for Men

• Semen Analysis

  The ability of sperm to move and remain viable is vital to sperm quality, and both sperm motility and quality are evaluated in semen analysis. Although there is variability in normal sperm counts, they typically range from 15 million to more than 200 million sperm per millilitre of semen. A sperm count below 15 million may indicate an issue affecting your ability to conceive.

• Male Hormone

  Testosterone is one of the hormones assessed during male fertility evaluations. Low testosterone levels result in decreased sperm production, affecting the ability to become pregnant.

• Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH)

  It is a hormone evaluated in both men and women. Average levels of this hormone in men range from 1.3 to 19.3 IU/L. High FSH levels suggest that the testicles are not functioning optimally, whereas low levels may indicate inadequacies in the functioning of the pituitary gland.

Conclusion

Fertility blood tests help determine an individual's ability to reproduce, but the number alone does not provide a clear picture of a person's reproductive health. In addition to knowing what hormones do, you also need to know how to interpret your results so you can understand what they mean and take the suitable next steps with confidence. Many of the abnormal results from blood tests can be addressed with appropriate guidance, which can increase your chances of getting pregnant through natural conception and assisted reproductive technology.