Preliminary investigations

At Repromed we will carry out preliminary investigations to find the cause of you and your partner's infertility. This may involve tests such as analysis of hormone levels for both males and females; TUNEL test to assess sperm DNA damage; Egg Timer Test to assess ovarian reserve, genetic tests and general health assessments. A follow-up appointment will be scheduled with your doctor to review the test results, discuss a diagnosis and offer treatment options.

Fertility Assessment

A Fertility Assessment consists of a few simple tests, overview of your lifestyle and then recommendations by one of our fertility clinicians. This assessment can be done for both individuals and couples and will provide you with vital information and advice to help you make informed decisions about starting a family.

The Egg Timer Test

The Egg Timer test estimates Ovarian Reserve – the number of quality eggs left within the ovaries. This gives an indication of the likely fertility status of a woman. The test involves a single blood test and pelvic ultrasound scan between days 3 to 5 of the menstrual cycle. The blood test measures levels of several different hormones, and combined with the scan result gives an estimate of the Ovarian Reserve.

Why have this test?
Many women delay starting a family for various reasons. However, fertility declines with age and problems may develop. An early indication of fertility status may help in deciding whether to start a family sooner or later.

What if your Ovarian Reserve is low?
Once the ovary runs out of eggs, the body isn’t able to produce any more, and it usually leaves the lowest quality eggs till last. Even IVF treatment will not dramatically improve fertility if there are only a few poor quality eggs left within the ovaries. If you are in a relationship and have a low ovarian reserve, the best option is to go ahead and try for children as soon as possible. If a woman does undergo premature menopause, using donor eggs is a viable option that is available through Repromed.

Sperm Health Test

The Tunel Test determines the health of the DNA in sperm. Smoking, alcohol, some chemicals and other factors can damage the DNA in cells including sperm cells. The Tunel Test allows us to assess any DNA damage in sperm. The test is performed in conjunction with a routine semen analysis and provides additional information as to the quality of the sperm. As Repromed is interested in the DNA of live (motile) sperm, the semen is washed to isolate the motile sperm from a preparation. Therefore it is important that a fresh sample is provided to the laboratory.