Fertility tests and treatment
If you’ve been trying for over a year to get pregnant, or you are over 35 and have been trying for six months, then it is worth seeing your doctor. Your GP may refer you to a consultant at your local hospital or a specialist fertility clinic for further investigations. Treatment for infertility within the NHS is limited and waiting lists vary. When you see your GP ask him what is available locally on the NHS and if there is a limit to the help you’ll receive. Check too about the cost of any prescribed drugs. Will the practice pay or will the bill come to you? If you want treatment privately, your doctor will tell you about clinics in the area. Phone them to get information about the tests and treatments they offer, waiting times and the costs involved. Then ask your GP to refer you to the clinic you’ve chosen.
When you see the specialist you’ll have limited time for the consultation. Take a list of questions you want to ask. You may have waited a long time for this appointment and you may wait a long time for the next.
Tests for a woman may involve:
- Blood, urine and cervical mucus tests – to check hormone levels or ovulation.
- Ultrasound scans – to check if a follicle, which should contain an egg, is being produced. Treatment for ovulation problems usually involves drugs and has a high success rate.
- Sperm mucus crossover – this checks if the woman’s cervical mucus allows her partner’s sperm through.
- Endometrial biopsy – a sample of womb lining (endometrium) is removed to check that it is free from infection and that ovulation has occurred.
- Hysterosalpingogram – where dye is passed through the fallopian tubes to check they are not blocked.
- Laparoscopy (usually under general anaesthetic) – uses a thin telescopic instrument to view the reproductive organs through a small cut below the navel. It checks for scar tissue, endometriosis, fibroids or any abnormality in the shape or position of the womb, ovaries or fallopian tubes.
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