The hysterosalpingogram and the day-3 hormonal profile for the woman as well as the semen analyses for the man consist the principal fertility tests for a couple confronting subfertile issues.

In more detail, the hysterosalpingogram is an X-ray imaging test, which examines the uterus and the Fallopian tubes by injecting a contrast fluid (dye). The examination provides us with valuable information about the uterine cavity (images which may not appear on ultrasound) and the permeability of the Fallopian tubes.

The woman’s hormonal profile is a blood  test evaluating the levels of five hormones (FSH, LH,Estradiol, PRL, TSH) on the third day of menstruation. We gather useful information about the woman’s fertility potential, which, combined with the couple’s general examinations’ results, indicates the preferred mode of treatment by a medical expert.

The sperm analyses is the standard test for evaluating semen quality. It is vital that the test is conducted by the clinical embryologist at a center for assisted reproduction. It is either examined after three to five days of abstinence at the clinic or transported to the clinic in less than an hour in warm conditions. It provides us with useful  information about the concentration, motility and morphology of the sperm.

In  cases of couples with particular medical history (e.g. recurrent pregnancy loss) a series of medical examinations may be suggested by the expert (peripheral blood karyotyping, thrombophilia screening, immunological test, sperm DNA fragmentation test etc). These are by no means a standard part of the process of testing a couple’s fertility.