Fertility Services
Causes of infertility
Infertility is usually defined as the inability to conceive or become pregnant after a year of trying to do so. This parameter shifts to six months if the woman is older than age 35 years. Subfertility is a diagnosis, which is made when conception happens naturally but the woman suffers repeated miscarriages.
Natural conception depends upon certain factors:
- A woman being able to produce a mature and viable egg from one of her ovaries
- The egg successfully passing down the fallopian tube (organ which connects ovaries to the uterus)
- A man producing enough good quality sperm which can successfully swim up the fallopian tube to “meet” the egg and successfully fertilize it
- Once fertilized, the egg needs to successfully implant or attach to the uterus’ wall where the embryo can develop into a foetus.
Fertility screening
Your first BGIC visit will entail our doctors obtaining a thorough medical history from you following which we will require certain tests to be done to assess why your fertility has been challenged. Once the underlying problem is identified, we can proceed on how to manage and treat it.
Some of the common tests that will be performed include:
Ovulation test
This test checks that an egg is being released every month and can be done easily at BGIC itself
Ovarian reserve test
This test is the best predictor of female fertility as it checks both the quality and quantity of eggs left in the ovaries. It is done using a transvaginal ultrasound scan.
The ovarian reserve test includes a transvaginal ultrasound scan and some blood tests to check the woman’s reproductive hormones. The ultrasound scan also enables the doctor to examine the womb and ovaries carefully to check for abnormalities such as polyps, fibroids and ovarian cysts. We normally advise you to have this test before your initial consultation.
Tubal patency test
This test is done through a transvaginal ultrasound scan and assesses the condition of the fallopian tubes. The aim is to ensure they aren’t blocked
Sperm abnormalities
A semen analysis allows for assessment of the man’s sperm. Here the factors that are examined are sperm count, sperm motility (swimming ability), sperm morphology (sperm shape and appearance) and the presence, if any, of sperm antibodies.
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