There are proactive steps to take to understand your fertility and plan for starting or growing a family.
The prospect of infertility can be daunting/raise a whole range of emotions, and too many people carry this burden alone. We want to take the opportunity to remind you that you are not alone and that pregnancy after infertility is not hopeless. There are proactive steps you can take to understand your fertility and plan for starting a family.
How prevalent is infertility?
It’s incredibly common: About 12% of women of child-bearing age in the U.S. have difficulty getting pregnant or carrying a pregnancy to term, according to the CDC.
Both men and women can have issues that cause infertility. While unknown causes still persist, usually the issue lies with either one partner—or both.
According to the CDC, 40-50% of infertility issues in all couples are due to the male reproductive system, and the remainder are due to the female reproductive system. Infertility weighs heavily on millions of people. In a recent survey, 61% of respondents reported being worried and anxious about their ability to have kids and conduct family planning.
What testing options are available?
Here are three easy options from Labcorp OnDemand that may be relevant depending on the phase of family planning you’re in:
- Women's Fertility Ovarian Reserve: By age 30, only 10% of a woman’s eggs remain, and only 3% typically remain by age 40. This package provides an assessment of a woman's ability to conceive by measuring the hormones that play a vital role in the production of eggs. While no laboratory test can predict the likelihood of pregnancy, this fertility blood test can assess egg quantity to help predict ovarian response to stimulation (if, for example, you decide egg freezing or in vitro fertilization are right for you). It can also indicate conditions like PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome) that may affect your ability to conceive.
- Men’s Rapid Fertility Test: About 50% of fertility issues are attributed to men. Our FDA-cleared, at home test allows for fast, easy, and private assessment of two key factors in male fertility: sperm concentration and semen volume.
- Thyroid Health Blood Test: Your thyroid is essential to your health and well-being, and women are 5-8x times more likely than men to have thyroid problems. Hypothyroidism (or an underactive thyroid) is a leading cause of difficulty in becoming pregnant and carrying a pregnancy to term.
- Pregnancy Test: By measuring the exact amount of Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (hCG) present in the blood, this test can confirm a pregnancy with greater accuracy and earlier in gestation than many urine-based home pregnancy tests—or about 6-8 days after conception.
How long is it recommended for couples to try getting pregnant before seeing a doctor?
Most experts recommend that women under 35 try for at least a year, according to the CDC, but suggest women 35 and older seek medical help after six months of trying. Since certain conditions increase the risk of infertility, it’s recommended that women with the following symptoms or conditions see a doctor right away if they’re trying to conceive:
- Irregular periods or no period
- Very painful periods
- Endometriosis
- Pelvic inflammatory disease
- More than one miscarriage
- A male partner with suspected issues, such as a history of testicular trauma, hernia surgery, chemotherapy or infertility with a previous partner
How is infertility diagnosed for men and women?
Doctors typically conduct an intake of each partner’s medical and sexual history. They perform a semen analysis, a tubal evaluation and ovarian reserve testing—which can be done directly through Labcorp OnDemand.
What are the most common causes of infertility in men and women?
In men, disruption of testicular or ejaculatory function is often the cause. Any number of factors can be responsible, including trauma to the testes, unhealthy habits like heavy alcohol use and smoking, use of certain medications and supplements and medical conditions like diabetes and cystic fibrosis. Various hormonal and genetic disorders can also be responsible.
In women, disruption of ovarian function and effects of ovarian “age” are a primary cause, in addition to fallopian tube obstructions and uterine abnormalities.
**
Fertility issues are never black and white—it can be a complicated process finding answers as to why conception is difficult. However, as a trusted partner to your healthcare provider or provider team, we’re here to here discover data-driven results to empower you on your reproductive journey.
Learn more about how Labcorp tests fertility for both men and women today.
