Pre-treatment costs

To determine the quantity and quality of your eggs, your doctor might test the concentration of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), estradiol (estrogen) and anti-mullerian hormone (AMH) in your blood during the first few days of your menstrual cycle.

Essentially, blood work gives an understanding of the hormone levels in your blood, as hormones are essential for regulating functions in the body, which includes: 

• Development of eggs
• Ovulation

Test results, usually done together with an ultrasound scan of your ovaries, can help predict how your ovaries will respond to fertility medication. Your fertility specialist will prescribe fertility drugs to help regulate your hormone levels, but the blood work gives us the insights we need, to know what medications should be prescribed and how your body is likely to respond to fertility treatment.

The 3 key ovarian reserve tests are:

• Antral follicle count
• AMH blood test
• FSH blood test

We usually carry out a pelvic ultrasound scan before you begin fertility treatment. This is an internal scan to assess your womb and ovaries, and can identify if you have any uterine of fallopian tube issues. For example, you could have fibroids that may require treatment before you begin IVF. We also use ultrasound to determine your antral follicle count.

We always recommend semen analysis to every man that comes to Care to determine the quality of your sperm. Before the sperm test, you’ll need to abstain from sex for three to five days. When we test your semen sample, we’ll assess:

• Sperm concentration (number) and volume
• Sperm motility (how well they’re swimming)
• Sperm morphology (their shape, size, and appearance)
• Presence of white or red blood cells
• Whether there’s an immune response, known as anti-sperm antibodies, against sperm proteins

With the results of a semen analysis, we can give you a better idea of your chances of achieving a pregnancy, and recommend fertility treatments that will maximise your chances of success. 

UK law requires patients providing eggs or sperm for treatment to be screened for HIV and hepatitis three months before their first treatment cycle and once every two years. Female patients are also screened for Rubella. All UK clinics have to do this, so please factor in the cost of these tests when comparing prices. If you are coming to Care for the first time and have the results of previous tests, you may not need to repeat the screening tests.