Home › Fertility tests for couples: what each test shows
Fertility tests for couples: what each test shows
Most couples need only a short list of fertility tests. For her: an ultrasound with an antral follicle count (AFC), the AMH blood test, hormone blood tests and a tube test such as HSG. For him: a semen analysis. Most of these fit into one menstrual cycle, and both partners are tested from the start.
If you already have a report in front of you, and it is late, and you are searching a word from it on your phone, put it down for tonight. A single number on a page means very little on its own. It only makes sense next to the rest of your history, your partner's results, and a doctor who can explain it to your face.
Why are both partners tested from the start?
A male factor is involved in about half of couples who struggle to conceive, on its own or alongside something on the female side. Testing only one partner, and turning to the other after months of treatment has not worked, wastes exactly that: months. Testing both together from the first visit is quicker and fairer to both of you.
What happens at the first consultation?
We start by listening, not testing: how long you have been trying, your cycle pattern, any earlier pregnancies or losses, tests or treatment already done, and the general health of both partners. A physical examination follows for the wife. Then we explain which tests apply to your situation and why, not a fixed package run on everyone.
Which tests does she need, and when?
Ultrasound and antral follicle count (AFC)
What it shows: an internal ultrasound looks at the womb and both ovaries. It can show the many small follicles typical of PCOS, a cyst, a fibroid or a polyp, and it counts the small resting follicles on each ovary. That count, the AFC, gives a rough sense of how many eggs may be available. It is not a precise total and says nothing about egg quality.
When: early in the cycle, in the first few days after a period starts. How to prepare: note the day your period started, so the scan falls on the right day. It uses sound waves, not radiation; most women feel only mild pressure.
AMH, the egg-reserve blood test
What it shows: AMH (anti-Müllerian hormone) is made by the same small follicles the scan counts, so it reflects roughly how many eggs remain: quantity, not quality. It does not decide on its own whether pregnancy is possible. It changes how much timing matters and how a treatment plan is built. More on our page about low AMH and ovarian reserve.
When: any day of the cycle; the sample can be collected from your home.
Hormone tests: FSH, LH, thyroid and prolactin
What they show: FSH and LH show how the ovaries, and the brain's signals to them, are working. Thyroid and prolactin are checked because either one out of balance can quietly upset ovulation, and both are usually straightforward to treat once found.
When: FSH and LH on day 2 or 3 of the period; thyroid and prolactin on any day.
HSG, the tube test
What it shows: whether the fallopian tubes are open, and the shape of the womb cavity. A special dye is passed gently through the cervix, and an X-ray shows whether it flows through the tubes. The egg and sperm meet inside a tube, so if both tubes are blocked, IUI cannot work and IVF is the route instead. Sono-salpingography is a similar test that uses fluid and an ultrasound scan instead of an X-ray.
How to prepare and what the test feels like are on our page about the HSG test.
When: after the period has stopped and before ovulation, so that an early pregnancy cannot be disturbed. How to prepare: expect cramps like period pain for a few minutes; your doctor may suggest a simple pain reliever beforehand.
Which test does he need?
Semen analysis
What it shows: count, how many sperm there are; motility, how many are moving forward; and morphology, how many are normally shaped. It shows whether IUI is suitable, or whether IVF with ICSI is the better route. More on our male infertility page.
When: any day; it does not depend on his wife's cycle. How to prepare: leave a gap of two to five days since the last ejaculation. One poor report is not a verdict: sperm take roughly three months to be made, so a recent illness or fever can pull a single report down, and a low result is usually repeated.
Which routine blood tests are done for both?
Blood group, haemoglobin and blood sugar, which matters especially with PCOS. Screening for HIV, hepatitis B, hepatitis C and syphilis is standard for both partners before a sample is handled in the laboratory, to protect the couple, a future baby and everyone in the laboratory. The wife is also checked for immunity to rubella (German measles); if she is not protected, a vaccine is advised and pregnancy is put off for a short while.
How long do the tests take?
Most fit into a single menstrual cycle: FSH, LH and oestradiol on day 2 or 3 of the period (thyroid, prolactin and AMH on any day), the scan for the antral follicle count in the first few days after a period starts, the tube test in the days after bleeding stops, and the semen analysis and routine blood tests on any day. Blood tests can be collected from your home: call the lab on 088305 04872. Home collection at zero cost to the patient is available from any place in Goa; for border areas the service may be nominally chargeable.
What happens after the results?
Most of what a fertility work-up finds is common and often treatable. A thyroid or prolactin imbalance is treated first. A polyp can be removed by hysteroscopy. If both tubes are blocked, or the semen analysis shows very few good sperm, IVF, with ICSI where needed, becomes the sensible route. You hear the reasoning behind the plan, not just the plan. For the prices, see IVF cost in Goa.
How are these tests arranged?
Every test on this page is arranged in Goa, blood tests can be collected from your home, and reception plans the days of the other tests with you. You can have your first consultation with our fertility specialist at whichever of our clinics suits you: Panjim, Margao, Mapusa or Vasco. Tell us where you are travelling from when you book, so the visits can be planned. Bring every old report you have, however old or untidy; a valid test does not need to be redone. What to bring is on our contact page.
Questions couples ask about testing
What happens at a first fertility consultation?
We take a full history from both partners, examine the wife, and explain which tests genuinely apply to your situation. Several tests can often be started the same cycle.
Does my husband really need to be tested too?
Yes. A male factor is involved in about half of couples, so testing both partners from the start is quicker and fairer than testing one first and the other only if treatment does not work.
When in my cycle should the tests be done?
FSH and LH on day 2 or 3 of the period, and the scan for the antral follicle count in the first few days after a period starts. The tube test is done after bleeding stops and before ovulation. AMH, thyroid, prolactin and the semen analysis can be done on any day.
Does a low AMH result mean I cannot get pregnant?
No. AMH reflects roughly how many eggs remain, not whether pregnancy is possible. It mainly changes how much timing matters and how the treatment plan is built - a doctor should talk you through what your own result means.
Is an HSG or tubal patency test painful?
It causes brief cramping, similar to a strong period cramp, for a few minutes. It is a day procedure with no cutting.
How should my husband prepare for the semen test?
He should leave a gap of two to five days since the last ejaculation. A low result is usually repeated, because counts vary from one test to the next.
Do I have to travel far for these tests?
Blood tests can be collected from your home. Every other test is arranged in Goa, and reception plans the days with you. Tell us where you are travelling from when you book, so the visits can be planned.
What is the lab's number for home collection?
088305 04872, for home collection at zero cost to the patient from any place in Goa. For border areas the service may be nominally chargeable.
Your visit is confidential — nothing about you appears on this website or on social media.
What you read here explains fertility care in general terms and cannot replace a consultation. Decisions about your own care should be made with a doctor who knows your history and has seen you. We do not carry out or offer sex determination of any kind, which is prohibited by law in India under the PCPNDT Act.