1. Test Hormone Levels
Doctors define infertility as difficulty conceiving after one year of well-timed and unprotected sexual intercourse. For women over the age 35, difficulty conceiving after six months signifies infertility. As a first step, many doctors will test various hormone levels in the woman's blood. A doctor may test these hormones on different days throughout a woman's menstrual cycle to help determine the cause of infertility. Some of the hormones tested include progesterone, estrogen, follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), lutenizing hormone (LH), prolactin and various thyroid hormones. Hormonal testing can help diagnose various causes of infertility, including ovulation problems (such as those due to polycystic ovary syndrome or PCOS), premature ovarian failure or thyroid disorders.
2. Chart Basal Body Temperature
To diagnose the cause of female infertility, many doctors will want to know if a woman has regular, ovulatory menstrual cycles, and she may have to chart her basal body temperature. Every morning upon waking, the woman takes her temperature with a basal body thermometer. After she has ovulated, she will see that her basal body temperature has increased (by at least .2 degrees F). Her basal body temperature will remain elevated until her menstrual period arrives. If a woman doesn't ovulate regularly, she won't see this change. Doctors can use these temperature charts to help determine if a woman has an ovulation disorder, such as PCOS.
3. Use Ultrasounds, X-Rays or Surgery
A doctor may need to conduct further testing to determine the cause of female infertility. Ultrasounds can allow a doctor to see a woman's reproductive organs, which can aid in diagnosing the cause of infertility. Doctors can observe the shape of a woman's uterus, see if any uterine fibroids exist and look for ovarian cysts. X-rays allow a doctor to see if a woman has fallopian tube blockages, and laparoscopic surgery can help diagnose endometriosis. All of these advanced techniques can prove useful in diagnosing the cause of female infertility.
4. Don't Forget About the Male
In approximately 30 percent of all infertility cases, the cause of infertility lies with the male. To determine the cause of male infertility, doctors use a semen analysis. A male gives a semen sample, and the laboratory studies certain characteristics of the semen, including sperm count, sperm motility, sperm morphology, semen viscosity and semen volume. If any of these characteristics don't fall within normal ranges, a doctor can diagnose male infertility. Note, however, that many doctors will require two separate semen analyses before diagnosing male infertility.
