Fertility Testing and Diagnosis

It’s important for your doctor to provide an accurate diagnosis to determine what’s affecting your ability to become pregnant. University of Chicago Medicine fertility specialists use the latest diagnostic tools to quickly and accurately determine any obstacles that may be preventing you or your female partner from being able to conceive.

Your doctor may recommend one or more tests to help assess your fertility, including:

• A hysterosalpingogram (HSG) is a procedure that allows your doctor to see whether there are any blockages in your fallopian tubes. It involves injecting a liquid dye into the uterus and taking X-rays.
• A sonohysterogram (SHG) can help your doctor determine whether the inside of the uterus is normally shaped and whether there are fibroids or scar tissue. For this procedure, saline solution is injected into the cavity of the uterus and an ultrasound probe is used to look at the walls of the uterus.
• A pelvic ultrasound is performed with an ultrasound transducer, which is a device that uses sound waves to create images of tissue. Your doctor takes images of your or your female partner’s organs, including the ovaries and uterus, by moving the transducer over the belly or inside the vagina. Your doctor then looks for abnormalities.
• Blood tests verify the level of estrogen, progesterone, follicle-stimulating hormone, anti-müllerian hormone and/or testosterone in your or your partner’s body.