Infertility Diagnosis & Testing

Fertility Testing with San Diego Fertility Center for a Confident Diagnosis

Have you been trying to conceive without success? Approximately one in six couples will have difficulty conceiving and may need professional fertility testing to diagnose the possible cause(s) of infertility.

Reaching an infertility diagnosis for a couple or individual is paramount to subsequent success. At San Diego Fertility Center, patients are invited to participate in every aspect of the diagnostic consultation and review of the results/interpretations. Infertility treatment plans are individually formulated. Patients are involved in the decision-making process, which enables individuals and couples to choose the treatment pathway that is most cost-effective for the achievement of a successful pregnancy.

When Should I See an Infertility Specialist?

It is recommended that you should see fertility specialist after a year of unsuccessful, regular unprotected intercourse if the woman is younger than 35 and after six months if the woman is older than 35. One option is to start by speaking with your ob-gyn first, and another is to go directly to a reproductive endocrinologist. Both physicians will start by performing initial fertility testing to diagnose the potential causes of your infertility. However, a reproductive endocrinologist generally delves deeper into potential causes and can often provide a more confident infertility diagnosis, as well as offer more advanced fertility treatments.

Because a woman's fertility naturally decreases with age, starting in her late 20s and dropping more rapidly after 35, and fertility success follows the same pattern, you should not go too long without undergoing fertility testing by a specialist. Contact San Diego Fertility Center to schedule an appointment.

Diagnosing Infertility

To reach a diagnosis, your infertility specialist will meet with you to review your previous medical records and past medical history. They will also run a number of assessments, and define the required fertility testing. The reproductive evaluation of a couple or individual may consist of four parts:

Evaluation of ovulation and the hormonal assessment of egg quality

This is conducted by a blood test that may be covered by your insurance plan. It allows us to maximize a woman's ovulation and the quality of eggs involved with fertility treatments.

Sperm quality and the detailed assessment of all sperm parameters

This would include the sperm concentration, motility, forward progression, morphology (shape), and the absence or presence of antisperm antibodies.

The patency (openness) of the fallopian tubes

The patency will be evaluated via a non-surgical diagnostic study known as the hysterosalpingogram (HSG). This is the only non-surgical technique that allows insight into tubal patency. If questions of tubal patency are associated with other medical conditions, a laparoscopy or hysteroscopy may be performed to gain more information and are conducted in our certified Del Mar Surgery Center.

Evaluation of the uterus

This evaluation is made to allow for successful implantation of an embryo and continued growth and delivery of a healthy baby. Pelvic ultrasounds are a routine part of the quality care rendered at the San Diego Fertility Center and, when combined with other ancillary diagnostic procedures, provide insight into optimal embryo implantation in order to reduce miscarriage risks.

After the infertility diagnosis, couples receive a review of their fertility treatment options during a subsequent consultation. Your treatment is conducted within the gentle, caring environment at San Diego Fertility Center.

For those patients who would like to do an infertility work-up before their new patient appointment, our physicians recommend the following (your PCP or OB may be able to order these for you):

Fertility bloodwork
1. Cycle day 3 AMH, FSH and Estradiol
2. TSH
3. Prolactin
4. Vitamin D
5. Hemoglobin A1c
6. Rubella
7. Varicella
8. Antibody Screen
9. CBC Screen
10. Blood type
11. Genetic Disease Mutation Screening
HSG (Hysterosalpingogram) or SHG (Sonohysterogram)
Semen analysis – you are able to schedule this at our office before your appointment
Infectious disease testing for both partners
1. HIV
2. HTLV
3. RPR (Syphilis)
4. Hepatitis B
5. Hepatitis C