The fundamental screening blood tests conducted at the fertility clinics generally include Business Intelligence Summit progesterone, estradiol, LH, FSH and oftentimes prolactin. In most of the fertility patients, this is the extent of testing that is being done. Patients get thoroughly assessed at the clinics with regards to every aspect of fertility. Sadly, this is far from the reality. The fertility clinics blood assessment is generally rather superficial and mainly relates to hormones that will be later manipulated by the fertility medication.

Androstenedione

This hormone is generated in the ovaries and the adrenal glands.  It is basically an androgen and considered to be a crucial building material for the production of estrogen, but high-level production of androgen could lead to Polycystic Ovarian follicle is believed to prevent the development of egg follicle, mainly causing cysts on the ovaries. As it is with any other hormone, there is a very delicate balance, you a specific amount is needed only for normal ovarian function.

MTHFR

MTHFR is basically an enzyme which is mainly involved in the conversion of the inactive into the active folic acid or 5 Methyl-tetra-hydro-folate. A saliva test can be done at MTHFR.com to assess if there is a genetic mutation that stops normal production of this particular enzyme and hence, impaired conversion of inactive folic acid to active folic acid. This is extremely crucial as active folic acid helps prevent DNA damage, prevents cleft palate, prevents neural tube defects and is involved in liver detoxification as well. All those women who are homozygous for the MTHFR mutation are at a greater risk for recurrent placental abruption, preeclampsia, miscarriage and intrauterine growth restriction.

Testosterone

It is not much of a stretch to consider that having too much of male hormone perhaps be an issue for female fertility? But 9 out of 10 times, testosterone has not been checked in women who have been under treatment in the fertility clinics. Not only being high at testosterone is an issue for fertility, but also having low testosterone levels could cause severe issues as testosterone happens to be a precursor for estrogen. A woman who is not responding quite well to the fertility medications, have low estrogen levels or suffer premature ovarian failure, can have lower testosterone levels and the most common cause for this issue is the under-functioning adrenal glands.