Home Fertility Testing has become increasingly popular in recent years. Many of the commonly undertaken fertility tests are now available over the counter or purchased online. The marketplace is overflowing with different options from predicting ovulation to assessing your partner’s sperm using a smartphone. We look at some of the commonly performed tests and try to help you understand when home fertility testing has a place.
In the UK around 80% of couples will conceive within a year of having regular sexual intercourse when a woman has regular menstrual cycles. The National Institute of Clinical Excellence (NICE) recommends beginning fertility diagnostic tests at this point if there has been no success after a year of trying to conceive.
It is important to obtain as much information as possible about your fertility if you are having difficulties conceiving. Many people are checking their fertility early by using fertility tests that can be performed at home, rather than taking time off work to attend a doctor’s surgery. These fertility tests offer an attractive starting point for many people researching their fertility as the tests are convenient, affordable and don’t require an appointment with a GP or fertility specialist.
The instant attraction of home fertility testing kits in our virtual world is clear to see, but what tests are available and how accurate are they? It is certainly a good starting point to look at using home fertility tests if you are unsure about your fertility, but these tests are best done earlier rather than later. Home fertility tests don’t replace an experienced fertility specialist advising and interpreting results in the context of your fertility history.
Popular home fertility tests include the Hertility Hormone Test which checks hormone profiles. Essential hormones like FSH and LH can checked with a finger prick blood test on day 2-3 of the menstrual cycle. The FSH hormone is released from the pituitary gland and it instructs the early follicles each month to grow in the ovary. If the ovary has an abundance of eggs the brain will not have to work so hard to recruit follicles so levels of FSH are generally lower. If the ovaries have fewer eggs available the FSH hormone level will have to work harder and will be raised. This can be used as a marker of a woman’s ovarian reserve.
A better marker of a woman’s egg reserve is an Anti-mullerian hormone (AMH) level as this is less likely to vary and a fertility specialist would tend to check this alongside the LH, FSH Estradiol, Prolactin and Progesterone levels to get a true reflection of the ovarian reserve and ovulatory function. Take a look at our Female Hormones and Male Hormones pages to understand which hormones are important in fertility testing and how to interpret them. If you are concerned about your egg reserve or ovulatory function then home testing kits may help reassure you.
Additionally sexually transmitted infections (STI’s) can impact on fertility. It is estimated that around 4-5% of people who have a chlamydia infection may also have blocked fallopian tubes. It is often silent without any symptoms in 8 out of 10 patients. Early detection of STI’s is important to allow prompt treatment to avoid long term harm. Chlamydia is common but other infections too such as syphilis, gonorrhoea and HIV are also prevalent in the population. A simple finger prick blood test and urine sample taken at home can save the trip to a clinic and is confidential and accurate. Companies offering home tests also have a network of doctors and specialist nurses available to discuss abnormal results.
There has been a surge in popularity with home sperm testing devices too, that can be purchased online and require minimal disruption to the daily life of patients. Devices such as the Exseed Home Sperm Testing Kit (save 15% using discount code ‘TF15’ at checkout), use a smartphone camera system as a microscope to assess a man’s semen parameters. There are several products on the market that assess sperm function. Producing a semen sample at home can be more convenient and more comfortable for men uncertain about booking into a clinic to do this, but is it accurate? The Exseed Home Sperm Testing device claims to provide clinic grade results within 15 minutes and results that doctors trust.
The latest AI backed sperm test kit is the Mojo at-home sperm test (save 15% using discount code ‘Total15’ at checkout). The Mojo test is designed for people with sperm who want to understand their fertility and have peace of mind when trying to start their family. It is no different to taking a sperm analysis test at a fertility clinic but without leaving the comfort of your home, avoiding awkward waiting rooms, sample cup in hand. It is an easy way to test, understand and – if needed – improve your sperm at an affordable price.
Thanks to Mojo’s proprietary AI technology that has been developed in compliance with WHO standards and with the scientific team that co-developed these standards, you get 97% accurate results in just 72hrs. The test results are easy to understand and cover the essential parameters that are clinically and scientifically required to assess your ability to conceive. The sperm test is accompanied by a free online consultation with one of the UK’s top fertility experts with 30 years of experience helping couples with male fertility challenges to conceive naturally.
Home fertility tests such as Hertility are a great starting point and can be insightful for many but should always be carefully interpreted and should not delay people unduly attending a clinic to seek more specialist interpretation of results or testing if required. Total Fertility experts are constantly reviewing this evolving area as there are so many home fertility testing products available on the market. Why not take a look at are male home fertility and female home fertility testing pages, where we connect you to some of these trusted brands.
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Male At-home Fertility Tests
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