Fertility Help - Getting to Know Infertility Tests and Treatment

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Fertility Help - Getting to Know Infertility Tests and Treatment

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Written by Isabel Tagge

Saturday, 26 April 2008

* Question: How do you test whether or not you are fertile?

by IsabelTagge

* Question: How do you test whether or not you are fertile?

On your first visit to a fertility specialist you will receive an examination to determine to what extent the infertility problem exists. The fertility specialist usually begins with a physical exam. You will most likely be asked to provide a history of the medical and sexual histories of your partner and yourself.

After these examinations, your physician will begin to run some tests. Men usually undergo semen specimen tests where the sperm will be evaluated based on its quantity per ejaculation, its shape, and its movement (aka motility). Sometimes, other tests are also conducted such as hormone tests.

What to expect for women? The doctor will attempt to find out whether or not the woman is ovulating properly every month. For determining this, she will be asked to either record her temperature at a certain time each morning in addition to her cervical mucous texture, or she may be able to simply use a home ovulation test kit. There may be some additional tests to check for ovulation. These tests may include blood tests for determining hormone levels and ultrasound tests for determining the health of the ovaries.

* Question: What medicines are used to treat infertility in women?

The medication Clomiphene Citrate is often suggested for women who are experiencing problems with ovulation. It is also common for this drug to be used for women who may be experiencing Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome or other disorders that inhibit ovulation.

The human menopausal gonadotropin (hMG) is the medicine usually prescribed for women who do not ovulate because of pituitary gland problems. It acts directly on the ovaries to encourage ovulation.

A few other drugs for ovaries such as follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and gonadotropin-releasing hormone (Gn-RH) may also be prescribed for women experiencing difficulties with fertility. These drugs are usually administered by injection.

Metformin is generally used to treat women with high levels of male hormones which interfere with ovulation. Metformin may be combined with FSH.

Another common fertility drug Bromocriptine is often prescribed for women having ovulation problems caused by high levels of prolactin, the hormone responsible for milk production.

* Question: Do most insurance plans cover treatments I need for infertility?

While some insurance plans do cover infertility treatments, such coverage may be dependent on where you are from and your insurance policy. At present, twelve states have enacted laws that require providers of insurance to cover varying degrees of infertility diagnosis and treatments. The following states have enacted these laws:

- Arkansas

- California

- New York

- Hawaii

- Illinois

- Maryland

- Illinois

- Texas

- California

- Ohio

- Rhode Island

- Hawaii

The laws enacted in each state may differ in their scope and the items that must be covered. For more information regarding insurance coverage on infertility diagnosis and treatment you can go to the website of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine and click on the State Infertility Insurance Laws link.

About the Author:

Isabel Tagge gives expert advice on subjects such as Insurance Coverage of Infertility to Acupuncture And Infertility. She is editor of www.Infertility-Tips.com