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Fertility Services

Baylor Medical Center at Carrollton

 
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Diagnosing Infertility 

We realize it's never an easy decision to make as to exactly when it is time to talk to a health care provider about infertility. The doctors at the Fertility Services Program at Baylor Medical Center at Carrollton suggest it is time when you:

  • are under the age of 35, not using birth control and have had problems getting pregnant after a year of frequent intercourse, or
  • are over the age of 35, not using birth control and have had problems getting pregnant after six months of frequent intercourse, or
  • you or your partner have reason to believe you may have fertility problems in the future (even before you begin trying to get pregnant)

Once you contact a specialist at Baylor's Fertility Services Program, your doctor will test both the woman and the man to search for the cause of the problem.

In the man, testing begins with the examination of the sperm to check for number, shape and movement. Blood hormone levels may also be checked. Other tests, such as a mucous penetrance test or a hamster egg penetration assay, may be necessary.

In the woman, testing begins with examining the ovulation pattern. This is done using an ovulation test kit or by monitoring basal body temperature and cervical mucous. Your doctor may choose to perform other tests to check ovulation, including an ultrasound of the ovaries or blood testing. Once it is determined that a woman is ovulating, other tests may be necessary. These may include:

  • Laparoscopy, an exam of the fallopian tubes and other female organs for disease
  • Hysterosalpingogram, an X-ray to see if the fallopian tubes are open and show the shape of the uterus
  • Endometrial biopsy, an exam of a small sample of the uterine lining to see if monthly changes are normal or if the uterus will permit an embryo to attach
  • Tests to determine whether sperm and mucous are interacting normally, or sperm antibody tests
  • Pelvic ultrasound to look for abnormalities which have developed in the uterus or ovaries