Fertility Self-Assessment Tool
Advice about your
fertility?
For most, achieving pregnancy causes no
problems but some couples do experience difficulties.
If you’re a woman trying for a child and
are worried you might be having problems, take this test. It will assess your
situation and let you know if you should seek further medical
advice.
QUESTIONS
1. How long have you been trying to get
pregnant?
a) Less than six months (0 points)
b) Between six months and one year (1 point)
c) Over one year (5 points)
2. Are you 35 years or older?
a) Yes (3 points)
b) No (0 points)
3. Do you have a regular period?
a) Yes (0 points)
b) No (5 points)
c) Don’t know (2 points)
4. Have
you had two or more miscarriages in a row?
Yes (5 points)
No (0 points)
5. Have you been diagnosed with
polycystic ovaries or polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS)?
a) Yes (5 points)
b) No (0 points)
6. Have you ever had surgery that may
have affected your reproductive organs? (Uterus/tubes/ovaries)
a) Yes (5 points)
b) No (0 points)
7. Do you have or have you ever had Tuberculosis,
Chlamydia, gonorrhea, or any other sexually transmitted infection (STI)?
a) Yes (5 points)
b) No (0 points)
c) Don’t know (0 points)
8. Has anyone in your family had difficulty
becoming pregnant or gone through early menopause?
a) Yes (5 points)
b) No (0 points)
ADVISE:
Depending on the answers-
If your score is more than 3, you should
seek and consult fertility specialist regarding further advise in relation to
achieving a pregnancy.
HELPFUL SUGGESTIONS:
Duration of subfertility:
It’s
common for it to take longer than six months to get pregnant and in the
majority of cases this does not indicate any problem.
If
you’ve been trying to get pregnant for more than a year so it is worth getting
a check up with your fertility specialist.
Why
age matters
Both women and men are at their most
fertile, (that is, most likely to conceive a child through unprotected sex) in
their early twenties.
In women, fertility declines more quickly
with age. This decline becomes rapid after age 33-35. A range of factors causes
this, especially the decline in the quality of the eggs being released by the
ovaries.
Around one-third of couples in which the
woman is over 35 have fertility problems. This rises to two-thirds when
the woman is over 40.
Hence, after the age of 35 if you are having fertility problems, it is
advisable that you seek fertility specialists advise sooner rather than
later.
Regularity of periods and menstrual cycle
A period is a bleed from the uterus (womb)
that is released through the vagina. It happens approximately every 28 days,
though anywhere between 21 and 35 days is normal.
Periods are part of the female reproductive
cycle.
Every month the lining of the womb thickens
in preparation for receiving a fertilized egg. But if the egg is not fertilized,
or even if is fertilized but not implanted in the womb, hormonal changes signal
to this lining to break down. A period bleed is made up of this lining, and a
small amount of blood.
If you have regular periods, it is in most situations a good sign and it
also makes it easier for you to keep track of your most fertile time of the
month.
If your periods are irregular or absent,
this may indicate a problem with your fertility cycle, in this case you should
seek fertility advise sooner rather than later.
Polycystic Ovaries/Polycystic looking
ovaries/Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS)
If you
have been diagnosed with PCOS, it can cause ovulation problems, which may make
it difficult to get pregnant so do seek advice.
More
about PCOS
The most common cause of ovulation
problems, leading to failure to become pregnant, is polycystic ovarian syndrome
(PCOS). This is a condition associated with multiple cysts in the ovaries. As
well as problems getting pregnant, symptoms can also include light, irregular
or absent periods, weight gain, acne, and excessive hair growth.
The symptoms of this condition can be
improved by losing excess weight through a healthy diet and exercise. Medicines
or surgery can also help women with PCOS to ovulate, and achieve pregnancy.
INFECTIONS:
If you
have been diagnosed with any of the infections like Tuberculosis, Chlamydia and
Gonorrhea, please discuss with your fertility specialists about effect of these
infections on fallopian tubes and hence fertility, which in turn makes it
difficult to achieve pregnancy.
