Infertility issues are rising everywhere. The dream of parenthood is challenging for many couples. When they seek alternatives, IVF would be the best way to achieve pregnancy.
Undoubtedly, fertility treatment is sensitive and challenging, where the couple can be evaluated in many aspects.
Initially, the healthcare provider will analyze the readiness of your physical and mental health via precycle screening. It ensures them that you are perfect to go for a treatment.
They conduct various key tests and examinations during this screening process. Let’s delve into the topic to discuss it in detail:
What is Precycle Screening for IVF?
Precycle screening is a series of diagnostic tests that are performed before the IVF treatment to evaluate the chances of success. It helps your fertility doctor to analyze the exact causes of your fertility and your readiness for IVF.
Beyond evaluation, it also helps them analyze the appropriate treatment that works best for your health. This set of treatments involves hormone tests, ultrasounds, and more. By the end of the examination, your healthcare provider comes to the conclusion about your health and your specific needs for treatment.
Why is Precycle Screening Necessary?
Precycle screening is quite essential for couples before undergoing fertility treatment. Its importance is not overstated; let’s uncover the compelling reasons:
Identifying Health Risks Early
In general, fertility treatment and medication should accompany your health condition to improve the success rate of pregnancy. Early evaluation of your physical and mental health helps providers to plan for the targeted strategies. If you are diagnosed with any health disorders, the treatment plan should be customized accordingly. It lowers the risk of side effects and raises the rates of live births.
Optimizing Treatment Plans Based on Individual Health
The fertility plan of individuals can vary based on their causes and health conditions. A fertility specialist evaluates your health through precycle screening, which helps them make an informed decision. By understanding the potential risks and challenges, they can tailor the treatment plans specifically to the unique needs of the couples.
Key Tests and Exams in Precycle Screening
These are the tests involved in precycle screening:
Hormone Level Testing
Hormonal balance plays a vital role in both natural pregnancy and fertility treatment. Precycle screening involves testing your hormone levels on day 3 of your menstrual cycle. They include:
Luteinizing Hormone (LH)
It is a kind of chemical hormone in your body that triggers ovulation. If you have irregular levels, that can severely impact the timing of egg retrieval in IVF treatment.
Follicle-Stimulating Hormone (FSH)
Higher FSH levels indicate that your ovaries are working quite faster than the normal level, which may affect your response to IVF treatment.
Estradiol and Progesterone
These hormone levels are closely monitored; those are important for preparing your uterus during embryo implantation.
Blood Tests and Infectious Disease Screening
This is a part of the precycle screening test. Both partners need to undergo this evaluation to identify whether they have any infectious diseases like syphilis, HIV, and hepatitis. It ensures that no infectious diseases will be carried to the baby.
Ovarian Reserve Testing
The most significant test conducted to determine how many eggs you have left and their quality. In general, women aged above 35 have started to decline both the quality and quantity of eggs. Ovarian reserve includes two different tests:
Anti-Mullerian Hormone (AMH)
This blood test allows doctors to identify the size of your remaining egg supply. A woman with a higher AMH level indicates that she has a better ovarian reserve.
Antra Follicle Count (AFC)
By conducting an ultrasound, a fertility specialist can determine the number of follicles available in the ovaries. It includes immature eggs, and they can be stimulated to grow during the egg retrieval process.
Uterine Evaluation
The thickness of the uterine lining should be measured using ultrasound. It helps specialists ensure the possibilities of successful embryo implantation. In addition to that, they also check for abnormalities associated with your health, such as ovarian cysts, fibroids, or polyps.
Semen Analysis for Male Partners
A semen test involves evaluating the sperm count, motility, and shape. If the results are abnormal, they suggest treatment to improve your sperm health.
How Precycle Screening Impacts IVF Success Rates
Precycle screening provides a chance to analyze the health condition of partners. It allows fertility specialists to tailor the treatment plans to improve the chances of success. Here’s how it works:
Reduce the Risk of Birth Defects:
Pre-implantation genetic testing (PGT) can identify the embryos with chromosomal abnormalities, leading to birth defects in children. It helps them inject healthy embryos into the uterus.
Personalized Treatment
Treatment plans are customized according to the specific needs of the couple, which significantly improves the success rate of pregnancy.
Promotes Healthy Pregnancy
By identifying the healthy embryos, specialists can increase the chances of healthy pregnancy and reduce the chances of miscarriage.
Preparing for Precycle Screening
Before getting into the precycle screening process, understanding its process can help you prepare yourself physically and mentally. Initially, you need to schedule an appointment for screening tests like ultrasounds, blood tests, and other genetic screening.
Some blood tests are related to your menstrual cycle to evaluate egg count and quality. They ask for the menstrual date and book an appointment accordingly.
Most importantly, you need to stop intaking certain medications while going under specific tests. The overall screening process may take several weeks, so maintain open communication with your fertility specialist to clarify your queries. It may seem overwhelming, but you should try to keep yourself confident and positive.
Final Words
Precycle screening is a crucial step in IVF treatment. It helps doctors potentially identify your infertility causes and customize the treatment plan as well. The screening tests may put you in stress, but it helps fertility specialists to improve the chances of pregnancy. They can identify potential troubles early and provide appropriate treatment.
Precycle screening is a significant part of IVF treatment; it helps allow doctors to identify your health condition and your readiness for the procedure. It also assists them in diagnosing the causes early and tailoring treatment according to the specific conditions of the couples.
Precycle screening includes a wide variety of tests, such as:
- HSG (hysterosalpingogram)
- Hormone blood tests
- Pelvic sonogram
- Semen analysis
- Hysteroscopy
- Infectious disease testing and
- Genetic disorder testing
Precycle screening is a series of treatments that can be performed after the eggs are removed and fertilized during the IVF process. With these examinations, your hormone levels and reproductive health can be analyzed. Most of the tests are suggested during the 2 to 3 days of your menstrual cycle.
Yes, genetic screening is a significant part of precycle screening, which helps identify any defects associated with an embryo before implantation. Embryos with an abnormal number of chromosomes are removed. It saves your fetus from suffering any kind of genetic disorders.
Yes, precycle screening is a path to evaluate your health and tailor the treatment plans accordingly. It is more likely to improve the chances of conception and have a healthy baby. The risk of miscarriage and genetic disorders in a fetus can be identified before an embryo implantation.
