There are around 7.3 million Americans afflicted with infertility according to the National Survey of Family Growth (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2002). That's not a small number. If you fear you may be one of them, you may want to get yourself tested. However, you may soon discover that these tests are sometimes very technical and hard to understand. You may want to take a look at some sample baseline figures just to see how they may be used to interpret your condition.
If you're a woman, your hormones are going to be a big factor in the tests. Let's start with FSH and LH. FSH stands for follicle stimulating hormone while LH stands for luteinizing hormone. FSH is responsible for the follicles that your body uses to house and keep your eggs healthy. LH controls the release of these eggs as well as other important functions like allowing the man's sperm to go through the cervix by regulating the mucus during times of ovulation. Normal levels for these hormones would be something like 1.5 mIU/mL. The unit stands for milli-International Units per milliliter. Don't be scared by these units. Try to use the numbers themselves for comparison. FSH and LH is a good indicator of fertility problems. If the ratio is off, usually indicated by lower LH and higher FSH numbers, this could be a sign of problems like low ovarian reserves or polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS).
Progesterone is another hormone important to you. This hormone is responsible for the implantation of your eggs in the uterine lining. Normal levels would be around 1.5 ng/mL (that's nanograms per milliliter, FYI). Going to high or too low on your test may be another sign of danger.
You're thyroid may also be tested for hypothyroidism, which means your thyroid is under-producing your needed hormones and can be a threat to your fertility. Two tests are usually done, one to measure the level of thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) and the other for free thyroxin (FT4) in your body. Normally, TSH should be between 0.4-4 uIU/mL (micro-International Units per milliliter) and FT4 around 0.8-2 ng/dL (nanograms per deciliter... remember, don't get intimidated by the units!). Hypothyroidism would usually be indicated by high TSH and low FT4.
If you are a man, you're going to be interested in hormones as well. Testosterone and FSH are important. Testosterone should be around 300-1100 ng/dL. FSH (this is basically the same hormone as that found in women, except your follicles are for your sperm, not eggs) levels should be around 4 to 10 mIU/mL. Prolactin may also be tested as high levels can affect sperm production negatively. The normal should be around 20 ng/mL.
Your semen is another thing that you will be interested in. First of all, sperm count should be between 40-300 million. Lower sperm counts can be made up for with better results on other tests but a sperm count of 10 million or less is unfavorable. Your sperm's ability to swim (motility) will also be tested. Two numbers will usually be presented to you. One is a percentage of the sperms active from the total sperm count. Sometimes not all sperm are actually active but at least 50% will be fine. The next number is a rating system from 0 to 4 in relation to the quality of movement your sperm have. Getting a zero is bad, a 2 is okay, and over 2 is better. Lastly, your sperm will be tested for their shape and size (morphology). This is also presented in a percentage. This percentage is the number of sperm that has the shape and size that is viable for reproduction. The WHO defines a normal percentage to be at least 30% of the sperm having the optimal shape and size.
Hopefully these numbers help you. However, always, ALWAYS consult your doctor and never, NEVER self diagnose. These numbers are never absolute and some labs will give you different ranges of normal and you really have to be aware of the context the numbers were taken in. But if you understand them better, it'll be easier to discuss them with your doctor and easier to understand your overall situation.
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