Hormonal status
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 may therefore include: FSH, LH, oestrogen and progesterone hormone. Other tests may include sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG), prolactin and testosterone or thyroid hormones. These hormones may indirectly be responsible for infertility. Over the last 3 years, we have been using newer blood tests to assess the number of eggs remaining in a womans ovaries in particular anti-mullerian hormone (AMH) which gives a very good indication of this ovarian reserve. There are other blood tests that maybe occasionally be performed according to the medical history of the individual.
