*Question: How is infertility tested?
The first thing that will happen is that you will receive an examination to determine the presence of infertility. The fertility specialist with physical examinations and sexual and medical histories for both you and your partner.
After these examinations, your doctor will run a few tests. Generally, men undergo semen specimen tests where the sperm will be evaluated based on the volume per ejaculation, its shape, and its movement (also known as motility). There may also be a need for additional tests such as hormone tests.
For a woman, the fertility specialist will try to determine if she is ovulating properly every month. In order to determine this, she can either record her temperature every morning and her cervical mucous texture or she can use a home ovulation test kit. To check whether or not ovulation is ocurring, you may need to take some additional tests. These tests may include blood tests for hormone levels and ultrasound tests for determing the health of the ovaries.
*Question: Is there a treatment for infertility?
Treatment for infertility depends on the physical examination and test results. In most cases, 85 to 90 percent of infertility cases are treated with prescription drugs or surgery.
There are several different fertility drugs that can be taken by women having ovulation problems. However, it is essential that you speak with your physician and let him prescribe the right drugs for your situation. He is the best person to explain to you the possible side effects as well as the possible benefits.
Surgery can be done in cases where fertility problems are caused by damage or other problems in the reproductive organs of either the man or the woman.
*Question: What kinds of fertility drugs do doctors use in order to treat infertility in women?
If a woman has ovulation complications, the drug Clomiphene Citrate is often prescribed. It is commonly used for women who are experiencing Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome or other disorders that cause ovulation problems.
The hMG (human menopausal gonadotropin is the drug usually used by women who are not ovulatiing due to complications with pituitary glands. It acts directly on the ovaries and encourages ovulation.
In addition, other ovary-stimulating drugs such as follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and gonadotropin-releasing hormone (Gn-RH) are also sometimes prescribed for women with fertility problems. These drugs generally come in the form of injections.
Metformin is also commonly used to treat women who have high levels of male hormones which interfere with ovulation. It is common for Metformin to be combined with FSH.
Another common fertility drug, Bromocriptine is often prescribed for women having ovulation problems caused by high levels of prolactin, the hormone responsible for lactation and producing milk.
*Question: Which kinds of insurance plans cover treatment of infertility?
While there are insurance plans that cover infertility treatments, such coverage is usually dependent on where you are from and your insurance policy. At the present, there are 12 states that have enacted laws requiring insurance providers to cover some degree of infertility diagnosis and treatments, either fully or partially. These states are:
– Arkansas
– California
– Connecticut
– Hawaii
– Illinois
– Maryland
– Massachusetts
– Montana
– New York
– Ohio
– Rhode Island
– Texas
The laws enacted in the above states may differ in their coverage and the kinds of treatments that must be covered. If you need more information regarding insurance coverage for the treatment and diagnosis of infertility, search online for the website of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine and click on the State Infertility Insurance Laws link.