The first step in this process is general preconception counseling and preparation, which involves ensuring that patients are taking prenatal vitamins and have undergone basic immunity screening testing for diseases such as rubella and varicella. Genetic carrier screening is also recommended to identify any inherited genetic disorders that may affect the child’s health. It is important to ensure that the patient’s health screening, including routine gynecological care and metabolic testing, is up to date.
The female pre-screening component of the infertility workup prior to IVF involves mandatory infectious disease screening for HIV, hepatitis B and C, syphilis, and human T-lymphotropic virus. Ovarian reserve testing is also performed to determine the quantity of eggs in the ovary, and the evaluation of the uterine cavity is done to identify any anatomical defects that may negatively impact implantation. A trial embryo transfer is also performed to ensure that the catheter can be passed through the cervix into the uterus without difficulty.
In addition, male pre-screening is important as men contribute to around twenty to forty percent of infertility cases. The male pre-screening aspect involves the same mandatory infectious disease screening as women and a semen analysis to determine the concentration, motility, and morphology of the sperm. If any abnormality is detected, there may be an indication for intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) where a single sperm is injected into an egg to overcome male infertility.
