Diagnostics of infertility
The diagnosis of infertility always concerns the couple, not just one of the partners, so it should be applied to both men and women.
Diagnosing the causes of infertility should
apply to both men and women at the same time. When diagnosing the cause on the
man's part, a general semen test is usually sufficient. If the parameters of
the semen display any disorders, the attending physician may order further
endocrinological or microbiological diagnostics for the male partner. In
exceptional cases it is advisable to perform a biopsy of the testicles. The diagnosis
of female infertility involves hormonal level assay, ultrasound examination of reproductive
organs and the evaluation of the uterine and tubal structure (HSG). The basic
test for a partners' joint infertility is PCT (post-coital test of the uterine cervical
mucus).
The problem of infertility affects approximately 15-20% of all couples who
attempt to have a child. Due to the increasing scale of this phenomenon, the WHO
(World Health Organization,) has recognised infertility as a social disease.
This is why the diagnosis and treatment of the disorder has become increasingly
recommended.
Infertility diagnostics involve a series of tests for both partners. The diagnostic period is relatively limited, which in practice lasts no more than two menstruation cycles.
During this period, some or all of the following tests are performed:
- semen tests;
- hormonal and immunological (including post-coital conditions) tests;
- evaluation of ovulation;
- tubal patency evaluation;
- endoscopic diagnostics.
