Fertility test

Read about the new product that predicts your fertility

A new home kit that claims it can predict how fertile you will be for up to two years has just been launched by Sheffield University and Lifestyle Choices Ltd.

'Plan Ahead' is an ovarian reserve testing kit that is designed to tell a woman how many eggs she has in her ovaries. The makers also claim it can predict your fertility for up to two years so woman can make a more informed choice about when they should have a baby, or potentially how long they can put it off for.

The makers say its the most accurate ovarian reserve hormone test in the world. At the moment comes in the form of a home testing kit, but it's likely to be rolled out to chemists, pharmacies and private clinics later this year.

Product details

'Plan Ahead' can be bought mail order on 0114 275 5723, £179. It will available in pharmacists later this year.

Fertell, an over-the-counter test for men and women, is currently available from branches of Boots, £79.99.

For more information on fertility tests please contact your GP. You can also read more about fertility by using the links to our medical database and Infertility Network UK on this page.

Know your fertility stats:

• 1 in 100 women will enter menopause by the age of 40.
• Most women are born with approximately 2 million eggs in thier ovaries. 90% of these are lost by puberty, by 40 it's dropped to around 10,000.
• The optimal time for a woman to conceive is between the ages of 18 and 35.
• Women who smoke 20 cigarettes a day hit menopause, on average, two years earlier than those who don't smoke.
• Around 1 in 5 women currently reaching the end of thier fertile life are childless.

What is infertility?

Infertility means difficulty in conceiving despite having regular sex without using contraception. Many couples take several months to conceive. About 1 in 7 couples do not conceive within a year of trying. However, more than half of these couples will conceive over the next year without any treatment.

With more and more women putting off child bearing until later in life, it is important for women to be aware of their fertility lifecycle.  Over the last few years, more people have started considering how our lifestyles today might influence our fertility in the future.

If people want to have children someday, then they must be aware of their fertility, how it changes over time and how precious it is.

What can cause fertility problems?

Ovulation problems

In some women this is a permanent problem. In some women it is intermittent when some month's ovulation occurs, and some months it doesn't.

There are various causes of ovulation problems which include:

• Early menopause
• Polycystic ovary syndrome - which can also cause excess hair growth, acne, menstrual problems and is associated with obesity
• Hormone problems - For example, too much prolactin, or too little thyroxine
• Being very underweight or overweight can affect your hormone balance which can affect ovulation. In particular, women with anorexia nervosa do not ovulate
• Excessive exercise such as regular marathon running can affect your hormone balance which can affect ovulation
• A side-effect from some medicines is a rare cause. Medicines that sometimes cause this are anti-inflammatory painkillers, some chemotherapy medicines, and cannabis
• Insecticides, herbicides, and fungicides may be a factor in some cases
• Ovarian cysts and certain genetic problems
• Fallopian tube or uterine problems
• Endometriosis
• Previous infection of the uterus and fallopian tube
• Large fibroids or cysts may also cause problems.

Male problems

Some men make less sperm than normal for a variety of reasons which can reduce fertility, the reason for this could be:

• Certain hormone problems
• Current or past infection of the testes
• Tumours of the testes
• Side-effects of some medicines and drugs - these include: sulphasalazine, nitrofurantoin, tetracyclines, cimetidine, colchicine, allopurinol, some chemotherapy drugs, cannabis, cocaine and anabolic steroids
• Regular excess heat (regular saunas, hot baths, etc) is possibly a cause
• Environmental factors may be a factor in some men. For example, a lot of exposure to chemicals, x-rays, or heavy metals
• Varicocele may affect fertility. A varicocele is common and is like a 'varicose vein' in the scrotum 
  

Age is also a factor - older women tend to be less fertile than younger women. The 'fall off' of fertility seems to be greatest once you are past your middle 30's. For women aged 35-39 the chance of conceiving is about half that of women aged 19-26.

The chance of conceiving gradually goes down over time. However, for couples where no cause is found for the problem, there is still a good chance of conceiving without treatment.

When women are trying to conceive they are advised to:

• Take folic acid each day to reduce the chance of a spinal cord problem in a baby
• Have a blood test to check that you are immune to rubella. You will be offered immunisation to rubella if you are not immune
• Eat a healthy diet
• Exercise regularly