Investigations

Follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and Luteinizing hormone (LH) are secreted by the brain and are responsible for the maturation of an egg (sometimes more than one egg), by working directly on the ovaries. At the onset of the menstrual cycle, the first day of the period, the hormone levels are quite low and throughout the first half of the cycle (follicular phase) the levels gradually rises. Ovulation occurs as a result of a sudden rise in the LH level (LH surge), and approximately seven days later there is a significant rise in the progesterone level which confirms that ovulation has occurred. The basic hormone screen will therefore include: FSH, LH, oestrogen and progesterone hormone. Other tests may include sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG), prolactin and testosterone, etc. These hormones may indirectly be responsible for infertility. Increasingly, we are using newer blood tests to assess the number of eggs remaining in a womans ovaries and hormones such as anti-mullerian hormone and inhibin give a good indication of this ovarian reserve. There are numerous other blood tests that could be performed and the indications may vary according to the medical history of the individual