If you are having problems trying to conceive, there can be any number of factors at work.  For this reason, there are many things that a health care provider will check if she is working with you on a fertility problem.  Getting your FSH levels checked is one of the very earliest tests that your health care provider will likely want to do in order to identify the things that may be causing you trouble when trying to conceive.  The other two tests include an analysis of the male partner’s semen, and an exam that will determine whether the fallopian tubes are blocked, which is known as a hysterosalpingogram (also called an HSG).

When you get your FSH levels checked, it will most likely be what is called a “baseline” or a “day 3″ FSH test.  This test will take place on the third day of your menstrual period.

You should understand exactly why your FSH levels are being checked.  It is important, first of all, to understand a little bit about what exactly FSH is.  It is also important to know what your FSH levels mean in regard to infertility.  FSH refers to Follicle Stimulating Hormone.  FSH is a product of the pituitary gland.  FSH promotes the growth of both sperm and eggs, and is therefore present in both men and women.  FSH levels in women can impact a woman’s fertility.  FSH levels can be checked with a simple blood test.  FSH levels relate directly to the number of eggs that a woman has on reserve, and therefore they have an affect on her problems with infertility.

Your FSH levels will be checked to see if they are too high.  If you have high levels of FSH, you may have a problem with infertility.  An FSH test will compare the woman’s FSH levels with average FSH levels.  Average levels of FSH are 10 or below.  A level of FSH between 10 and 25 is considered borderline, while FSH levels above 25 indicate an abnormality.  If your FSH levels are elevated, you will typically need very aggressive infertility treatments.  It is estimated that only one out of one hundred women with elevated FSH levels will be able to successfully conceive without outside fertility treatments.  Most often, women with elevated FSH levels require dramatic treatments, such as the use of donor eggs.

• Infertility Testing And FSH Levels
• What Do FSH Levels Mean When Trying To Conceive?
• Follicle Stimulating Hormone Levels And Your Chances Of Conceiving
• Follicle Stimulating Hormone And Infertility Problems
• How is an FSH Test Taken and What Does it Mean?
• Can You Still Conceive With High FSH Levels?
• FSH Levels – Rising and Falling
• Are There Supplements I Can Take To Help My FSH Levels?
• What about FSH Levels in Men?
• FSH Levels and Menopause
• Can Obesity or High Cholesterol Affect FSH Levels?
• Low estrogen levels: Can this affect ovulation?

This entry was posted under Fertility Issues.