Not being a victim of infertility? So both men and women should do these 5 important tests

The burden of infertility in India continues to grow, involving both men and women (about 15 percent of the incidence in India). This has become a matter of not only the urban but also the villages. Now such a situation has come that the birth rate of children per woman has come down significantly (average 1.61 per woman). Many reasons are related to this trend of declining fertility. One of these is a change in the behavior of the couple due to professional aspirations at reproductive age, which leads to delays in marriages and delays in childbirth. But it has been proven that a woman's fertility is age-related and limited. If you do not want to be a victim of infertility, then what tests related to fertility should be included in your routine health checkup.

Cause of low fertility

Talking about men, the quality of sperm tends to decline with age. In addition, lifestyle changes such as diet, stress, habits, lack of sleep, obesity and inactive living lead to a decline in fertility, ultimately leading to hormonal and pathological changes, which affect the reproductive system. Below are some of the routine tests that fertility specialists recommend for couples to check their fertility.

Female partner get this test done

Ultrasound of the pelvis (uterus and adnexa, antral follicle count), serum AMH level, thyroid, hormonal tests like prolactin. If a problem is suspected, the fallopian tubes can be evaluated by tests like HSG, SSG.

Anti-Mullerian Hormone (AMH)

Anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH) in the blood is made in the reproductive tissues of both men and women. The role of AMH and its normal level depends on one's age and gender. Regular screening of AMH in the blood helps us to know the ovarian reserve in someone and thus can help a woman to plan pregnancy before her ovarian reserve becomes too low.

Ovarian reserve

In case the ovarian reserve is low, if a woman cannot plan a pregnancy right away, she can opt for egg or embryo freezing, which is provided at fertility centers.

Male partner get this test done

The basic test of fertility in men is semen analysis. Any abnormality in a semen analysis performed in the standard way requires further evaluation with blood tests or imaging. A regular semen analysis will help fertility specialists to know about any decrease in sperm quality due to factors such as alcohol, smoking, stress, and other lifestyle issues. It is relevant that for better semen quality, one adopts specific lifestyle changes suggested by a fertility specialist to improve semen quality. There is a need to avoid unnecessary substances like alcohol, smoking, and additional factors like stress.

There is a need to create awareness among the couple along with common health checkups and evaluate the fertility status. It helps in assessing the fertility of the couple and helps in early detection and prevention of any conditions/diseases if pregnancy is delayed. This fertility test helps couples to plan their fertility journey in the right way.