A Complete Guide to Fertility Testing for Women

For the millions of couples who face the challenges of infertility, many factors come into play from both partners. Men’s issues account for approximately 50 percent of all infertility cases, but there are indicators that tell doctors if a woman requires further testing. Two general signs are:

  • A woman under 35 has not become pregnant after one year of trying (with regular, unprotected intercourse
  • A woman over 35 has not become pregnant after 6 months of trying

If your doctor recommends fertility testing, it’s important to know what to expect.

A complete guide to fertility testing for women

Many women who struggle to get pregnant have multiple problems contributing to their infertility, which is why there are many kinds of fertility tests available. What fertility test(s) a woman undergoes depends entirely on her unique situation. Still, there is a basic order of testing that doctors follow to pinpoint the source of infertility:

  • Initial fertility appointment – When you first meet with your fertility doctor, he or she will review your birth controluse, menstrual and pregnancy history, current and past sexual practices, medications used and other health issues. Your doctor will also ask about your lifestyle and work/living environments.
  • Physical exam – In addition to a Pap smear and pelvic exam, the doctor will examine areas such as your thyroid, breasts and hair growth.
  • Blood tests – Initial tests may be conducted to evaluate thyroid hormone levels, prolactin levels (the hormone that makes you produce milk after giving birth), testosterone levels, and to screen for diseases like HIV or hepatitis.
  • Ovulation testing – To confirm ovulation, the doctor may use a range of techniques, including reviewing your temperature charts, ovulation predictor kitsand 3D ultrasound.
  • Hormone testing – During the ovulation portion of your workup, levels for follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), estradiol, progesterone, inhibin B and other hormones may be examined.
  • Cervical mucus tests – These involve post coital tests (PCT) to help determine if the sperm can penetrate and survive in the cervical mucus. It also includes a bacterial screening.

If the above testing is inconclusive, more procedures may be recommended, including reproductive organ tests and genetic testing.

Excellence in fertility testing and complete reproductive care is close to home

If your purpose in life is to become a parent, yet that purpose remains unfulfilled, hope is just around the corner. With locations in Akron, Columbus, Canton and Youngstown, all the expertise, advanced technology, compassion and dedication it takes to help you have the baby you’ve always wanted is within reach.

Our team of reproductive endocrinology and infertility nurses, embryologists and onsite laboratory technicians surround you with support and expertise. They’re led by our board-certified physicians, who bring decades of combined experience, a wealth of innovative diagnostics and treatments, and a genuine passion for helping you realize the dream of parenthood.

To learn more or to schedule an appointment, click here to see the phone numbers for each office, or to use our online form.

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What Our Patients Say About Us

There is no one better than Dr. Maseelall❤️ She gave us two little miracles at once!! Thankful for the family she helped us create!!
We were patients of Dr Nash but Dr Jain did my egg retrieval and we are so thankful for him and his part in helping us grow our family! ❤️
So appreciative of Dr. Maseelall! Always so kind during our journey and ready to listen to me. That was important to us. She helped bring us our miracle!
So grateful for Dr. Nash who gave us our sweet 15 month old! He’s the most straightforward yet compassionate Dr and I loved working with him! ♥️♥️
Dr Nash!!!!! There aren’t enough words to describe our thankfulness and appreciation for you. We have our sweet Charlotte because of you. Thank you, thank you!!!!!! -Angela and Dan Gossard (2022)
What an amazing and rewarding event to put on! It’s not often the the doctors and nurses get to see the end result. Seeing so many pictures of the families you’ve helped build is just amazing! So thankful for Dr. Jain and his staff for giving us our blessing!
RGI made our dreams come true! And Samantha’s gift of hope….there really aren’t words to express how they changed our lives. We won their grant in 2019 and it has continued to bless us several years later. Every time we make a financial decision I think of SGH and how I don’t know if it’d be possible if it wasn’t for them.
RGI and Samantha’s Gift of Hope has forever changed our lives in the best way possible because they have given us the greatest gift we could ever get—our sweet daughter. We have this joy of being parents we had previously only dreamed about, and honestly weren’t sure we would ever have. Now, everyday is filled with baby giggles and snuggles, cheering her on to her next milestone (which is currently crawling), and trying to be the best parents we can be. We will never be able to repay RGI and Samantha’s Gift of Hope, but we will forever be grateful to them and are daily reminded of it.
RGI made it possible for us to experience the joys of becoming parents. There is no greater feeling or love in this world that we’ve experienced than bringing Liam into this world. We truly understand the miracle and blessings babies are. SGOH we will forever feel grateful for. We cannot thank Lisa, Matt and Sam enough for their generosity and helping couples pay towards their IVF journeys. Honestly, SGOH really does provide HOPE. Winning the grant also helped us to feel like this is really happening, it’s meant to be.
Because of Samantha’s Gift of Hope, our dream of having a child came true. We could focus more on each step of the process and keep a positive attitude through it all instead of constantly worrying about what things cost and how we would make it work. Now, our sweet Tenley girl is 1 week old and I continue to be thankful each day for the opportunity Samantha’s Gift of Hope gave us. We are now living out our favorite roles as mom and dad and are filled with so much love for our little girl!
“RGI is amazing, start to finish. They never make you feel anything but comfortable. Thank you all for your compassion and care!”
“Thank you for everything the RGI team has done for our family! Everyone has been amazing, and we are grateful for your skills.”
“A wonderful place! I would highly recommend RGI to anyone who is in the same position as me and my husband.”
“Thank you! Everyone is extremely caring and professional. I wouldn’t go anywhere else!”
“RGI went above and beyond to make my husband and me comfortable and happy with the care they gave us!”
“We had a wonderful experience with the RGI staff during our IVF cycle. All staff were kind, friendly and very informative! We felt comfortable at every visit and each procedure. The staff at RGI are wonderful and made our IVF journey a great experience. We are so thankful!”

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