Fertility test in men and women

Fertility test in men and women

Whether it is to know when you are most fertile, or to prepare for having a child, fertility tests for women allow you to know the period of the reproductive cycle in which you are located. In men, they are used to measure the sperm count. How to properly use male and female fertility tests?

What is a fertility test?

A fertility test allows to know the fertility rate of a person, that is to say of his capacity or not to be able to procreate naturally. Male and female fertility tests are different.i They can be done in the hospital, with a blood test, after seeing a doctor. But there are also self-tests, sold in pharmacies, to be carried out directly at home. In men, they measure the rate of sperm contained in semen, while in women, they provide information on the period of ovulation.

Fertilization, ovulation, menstrual cycle: some biology reminders

In order to understand how a woman’s menstrual cycle works, that is to say her period cycle, it is first necessary to define the phenomenon of ovulation and that of fertilization. Each month, for a period of about a day, the ovulation phase takes place. During this, the ovum (or oocyte) is expelled by the ovary. The latter lives for about 24 hours in the body. In order to maximize the chances of getting pregnant, it is therefore necessary to have sex that day, so that a sperm comes to fertilize the woman’s egg (know that the sperm expelled during ejaculation survive between 3 and 5 days in the cervix).

The fertilization of the egg by the sperm, which corresponds to the fusion of the male and female gametes, if it takes place, then takes place immediately, within the uterus. If it does not occur, the period will reappear the following month to start a new cycle.

Why and when to have a fertility test?

Fertility tests can be done for several reasons. For example, if you want to have a child but are having difficulty, a test can tell you about your childbearing situation, and whether the difficulties have a cause. If you are looking to have a child, the test can also tell you about the best to procreate to maximize the chances, that is, whether the time is right for fertilization.

In this case, your doctor may order a daily test, which will allow you to have sex on specific dates, which correspond to female ovulation. Finally, a test can, conversely, let you know the period when you are least fertile, and when intercourse is less conducive to fertilization (but also does not guarantee 100% of not falling. pregnant).

How to take a fertility test in the hospital?

When a couple has difficulty in having a child, it is possible to be prescribed fertility tests, both female and male, to check whether one of the two partners is not infertile, or has a low rate of fertility. fertility. If you want to obtain reliable results, it is advisable to turn to fertility tests by blood test, prescribed by a doctor, which will be performed in the hospital.

In certain cases, in the event of an anomaly detected, additional analyzes may be prescribed. In men, this test, called a spermogram, is used to assess the quality and quantity of sperm present in the semen, and to check whether there is an infection. It is performed with a semen sample taken after masturbation, in a specialized laboratory.

The male and female self-test, to know your fertility rate at home

For women, fertility self-tests are actually ovulation tests. They are used in the same way as pregnancy tests, in the bathroom. Thanks to a hormone detected in the urine, which is present in greater quantity during the ovulation phases, the test indicates or not whether one is in a period of high fertility. In this case, it is the best time to get pregnant. For men, the self-test makes it possible, as in laboratories, to calculate the quantity of motile sperm present in the semen. Be careful though, this system, although quite reliable, only provides information on the quantity and therefore does not take into account other important elements, such as the shape of the sperm. The result of the self-test must therefore be put into perspective.

What to do in case of infertility?

We must first target the cause of infertility: does it come from men, women, or both? Know that below 15 million sperm per milliliter, a man is considered infertile. Then, a medical follow-up must be done. Indeed, nowadays, it is quite possible to get pregnant despite a problem of infertility: it is possible to consider solutions to help procreation, either by helping natural fertilization or in vitro.

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