Infertility issues sound everywhere. Couples with parenthood dreams seek alternatives like IVF to achieve pregnancy. Fertility treatments are crucial and sensitive, as the healthcare provider will analyze your health in different aspects.
They evaluate the readiness of both your physical and mental health (i.e.) through precycle screening. These tests ensure doctors that you are perfect to go for a treatment.
Let’s delve into this article to have a complete understanding of this precycle screening journey.
What is precycle screening?
Precycle screening is a set of diagnostic tests that are performed before the fertility treatment to assess the chances of success. These evaluations help fertility specialists identify the potential causes of infertility and your readiness for IVF.
It not only provides insight into your fertility but also allows healthcare providers to tailor the treatment to your specific needs. This procedure involves several examinations, including hormone tests, ultrasounds, and more. By the end of screening, experts can get to know whether your health is ready for IVF or need any personalized treatment.
Types of Tests in Precycle Screening
Precycle screening will be performed to evaluate the general health of both men and women to ensure the chances of successful pregnancy. Let’s see the types of tests that men and women will go through while screening.
Female Partner Screening
AMH Test (Anti-Mullerian Hormone): AMH is a blood test assessment to determine the number of eggs and several years it will be fertile. Higher levels of AMH in your body indicate that you have a good ovarian reserve.
Rubella: Before undergoing any fertility treatment, a female patient must attend the rubella immunity test. If there is no natural immunity found, vaccination will be suggested before commencing the treatment. It helps against any potential causes of rubella during early pregnancy.
HIV: This test is performed for certain significant reasons, including:
- If you are positive for an HIV test, it may be transmitted to your child during delivery.
- HIV during pregnancy creates several negative impacts on a woman and child.
- The frozen embryos or gametes during treatment may transmit the virus infection to other patients.
- Fertility centers are handling hundreds and thousands of patients, and there is a place where the body fluids need to be secured very carefully. They could need special precautions with the samples of HIV-positive patients.
Hysterosalpingogram (HSG): During this HSG test, a contrast dye is inserted into the cervix and x-rays will be taken to evaluate the uterus and fallopian tubes. Healthcare providers suggest taking this assessment once within a 12-month period before the treatment.
Baseline Ultrasound Scans: A vaginal ultrasound scan is essential to conduct to evaluate the following factors:
- It evaluates your physical changes, such as polyps or fibroids that may negatively influence your cycle.
- Check for the presence of ovarian cysts, which must be treated before the IVF procedure.
- Accessing your ovaries is easy, as your egg sample will also be collected using this method.
- A baseline report acts as a reference during the treatment cycle.
- It helps count the number of small follicles that exist in your ovaries and measure the size of your ovaries.
Male Partner Screening
Semen Production: Some men may feel embarrassed and stressed to provide a semen sample in a quite common place. When they are anxious, having difficulty producing a sample for the next couple of hours.
There are some alternatives provided at the clinic. Like, men can collect the semen sample at their home and bring it to the clinic in a sterile container within a period of one hour.
It is not essential that the sample needs to be collected via masturbation. You can accompany your partner and get it via condoms.
If you have decided to produce off the premises, inform the concerned staff prior to adjusting the laboratory schedule accordingly.
Semen Analysis: Before the IVF procedure, two semen analyses will be conducted. It is advised to collect at least one semen sample prior to egg retrieval.
This test involves finding the sperm antibodies in the semen and possible infection that may affect fertilization during the procedure.
Why is precycle screening important?
Precycle screening is the first and crucial step before the IVF process. The primary aim of this procedure is to evaluate the fertility health of partners and identify the causes associated with it. It helps provide appropriate treatment and prepare them for treatment with improved chances of success.
As knowingly, IVF is a complex, sensitive, and expensive process. Conducting this precycle screening helps determine any complexities associated with your reproductive health. It allows doctors to provide personalized care and attention to give the best results.
When is precycle screening done?
It is a series of tests to gather baseline information about your reproductive health and hormone levels. To identify the exact case, it is typically performed on 2 or 3 days of your menstrual cycle prior to treatment. Some common tests can be performed anytime, but a few are sensitive and must be performed on specific days.
Conclusion
Precycle screening in IVF is a crucial step to analyze your fertility state, helping specialists understand potential causes and chances of a possible outcome. The test and screening may seem overwhelming, but this is essential to customize the treatment plans and improve the chances of a successful IVF cycle.
FAQs
The first is an ultrasound scan performed between 3 and 5 weeks after the embryo transfer. It examines the ovaries to ensure that they are not producing eggs at the moment. They also measure the serum estradiol level.
PGS (preimplantation genetic screening) is not so required but acts as a valuable tool to improve the chances of pregnancy. It is a safe and effective technique to identify genetic disorders and chromosomal abnormalities. PSG is primarily used to reduce the risk of recurrent pregnancy loss and improve implantation rates.
IVF screening, also known as PGT (preimplantation genetic testing), evaluates the embryos created through the IVF cycle to confirm that they have an appropriate number of chromosomes and are free from any genetic conditions like embryo biopsy, embryo creation, embryo selection, and genetic analysis.
