During the process of infertility testing, it is not at all uncommon to have FSH levels checked out.  In fact, infertility testing and FSH levels testing are often a part of a bigger whole.  Testing of the FSH levels is one of the three main, initial tests that are often given to couples who are having problems with infertility.  The second test that is often used is a test that will analyze the male partner’s semen, and check it for problems with sperm count, sperm motility, or sperm abnormalities.  The third of the infertility tests that typically occurs at the beginning of infertility testing is a test that will check to see whether the woman’s fallopian tubes may be blocked.  This test is known as an HSG, or a hysterosalpingogram.

During the process of testing FSH levels as part of infertility testing, your infertility specialist will use what is known as a “day 3″ or a “baseline” FSH test.  This day 3 FSH test will check your FSH levels on the third day of your menstrual period.  This is considered the best time to get an accurate measure of your FSH levels.  FSH levels are check using a simple blood test, and the results of a day 3 FSH test should be available relatively quickly.

FSH levels that are elevated can indicate a problem with infertility.  FSH levels obtained during infertility testing will be compared with the average levels of FSH.  The average levels of FSH are 10 or below.  If your FSH levels are above 25, it indicates that there is definitely an abnormality which may signify a problem with infertility.  FSH levels between 10 and 25 are considered borderline.

Unfortunately, elevated FSH levels in a woman usually indicate a problem with the woman’s ovarian reserve.  This means that the number of viable eggs that a woman has that could be fertilized is either small or has been depleted.  When this is the case, it is often necessary to look into more advance fertility treatments, such as In Vitro Fertilization (IVF).