When and how to get checked
One year — six months if over 35
When should you go?
When an evaluation is recommended
These marks do not mean "something is wrong". They mean "this is a good moment to take a look". Being evaluated does not automatically lead to treatment.
If your periods are very irregular, or you have had pelvic surgery or endometriosis, it is fine to ask earlier.
How long does it usually take?
Even for a healthy couple in their twenties or early thirties, the chance in any single cycle is about 25 to 30%. A month or two without news is not a sign of trouble.
That number starts to fall in the early thirties, drops more steeply after 37, and is under 10% per cycle by 40.
Tests for the woman
What is usually checked
Not all at once. Each result decides what, if anything, comes next.
Tests for the man
A semen analysis comes first. It is simpler than most tests on the female side, and since about 40% of infertility involves a male factor, both partners are looked at from the start.
Sometimes no cause is found
Every test can come back normal and still leave no clear answer. This is called unexplained infertility.
It does not mean there is nothing there, and it does not mean nothing can be done. There are still treatments worth trying.
How does treatment progress?
Usually in this order
It starts with the gentlest option. Nobody goes straight to IVF. Where you begin depends on the cause and on your age.
IVF may take more than one cycle. One attempt that does not work is not a failure.
How LunaCat can help
Insights › Cycle history
At a first appointment you will be asked "when was your last period, and are your cycles regular?". A few months of logs answer that on the spot.
Bring your basal body temperature chart too if you have one. It cannot predict ovulation, but it can confirm that ovulation happened.
This article is for reference. Decisions about your body belong with your doctor.
Under 35 — after one year of trying without birth control
Over 35 — after six months
Over 40 — do not wait, go now
Whether ovulation is happening
Hormone levels — thyroid, prolactin and others
Ovarian reserve — how many eggs are left
Ultrasound, and imaging of the tubes and the inside of the uterus
Ovulation induction — medicine that helps you ovulate
IUI — sperm placed in the uterus around ovulation
IVF — fertilised outside the body, then transferred to the uterus
Sources
- Evaluating Infertility — ACOG
- Treating Infertility — ACOG
- Optimizing natural fertility: a committee opinion — ASRM, 2022