What is a Fertility Testing Kit?
Whether you’re currently trying to conceive or just thinking about your future fertility, it’s normal to want all the information you can get! Sometimes it’s overwhelming to know where to start, though, and that’s what we’re here for.
The Proov Hers & His fertility testing kit covers the key factors of both male and female fertility, ensuring that you have the information you need to increase your chances of conceiving. But what does the Hers & His kit do, and why would you want to use it? Here are the top 5 benefits that we think you’ll want to know about!
1. Check Ovarian Reserve
Have you heard of your ovarian reserve? In short, this is the amount of viable eggs you have left, and it’s an important factor in your future fertility. While it’s normal for your ovarian reserve to decrease as you age, sometimes it can decrease earlier than it should, which can lead to infertility.
Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) is released in the beginning of your menstrual cycle, and elevated FSH levels can indicate decreased ovarian reserve. If you’re wondering about the likelihood of getting pregnant as you get older, checking ovarian reserve is an important place to start!
2. Identify up to 6 Fertile Days
There are only about 6 days during each menstrual cycle when you can actually conceive, but few fertility tests will help you find all 6! It’s common to test with ovulation predictor kits (LH tests) or other fertility tests that only give your two most fertile days, sometimes known as peak fertility.
The other four days are important too though, and especially since mistiming intercourse is a primary cause of infertility, it’s helpful to know when they are. Proov Complete, which is included in the Hers & His kit, was proven in a clinical study to find up to 6 fertile days, including an average of 2.7 days before the LH surge!
3. Confirm Successful Ovulation
You probably know by this point that ovulation is critical to conceiving (since you need an egg and a sperm to meet), but did you know ovulation isn’t just a “yes or no” occurrence – that is, that it’s possible to ovulate successfully or not?
Ovulation kicks off the second half of the cycle, known as the luteal phase. After ovulation, the empty follicle becomes the corpus luteum, which makes progesterone! Making sufficient progesterone is necessary for a new embryo to successfully implant in the uterine lining, and this is what it means to ovulate successfully.
Unsuccessful ovulation is often the result of an ovulatory dysfunction, which is actually the leading cause of female infertility. That’s why Proov Complete also includes testing for PdG, a metabolite of progesterone, to test for successful ovulation. This testing takes place during the implantation window, and helps you understand if conception that cycle is even possible.
If you determine you aren’t ovulating successfully, the Proov Insight app will help guide you through the next steps. You aren’t alone in figuring this out!
4. Measure Motile Sperm Concentration
Since approximately 50% of subfertility cases are due at least in part to male factors, you’ll want to check out his sperm too! The Proov Sperm Test measures motile sperm concentration (MSC), which is the key characteristic of measuring sperm quality.
To successfully fertilize an egg, sperm need to be able to swim in the right direction and fast enough (motility). Additionally, while it only takes one sperm in the end, a higher concentration of sperm can increase your chances.
With the Proov Sperm Test, you can easily measure MSC and get a video of your sperm at home (no awkward clinic visits), and use the YO app to learn about what your MSC means and what fertility improvements may be recommended.
5. Check for Pregnancy 5 Days Earlier
Once you’ve gotten through your fertility testing during the fertile window and the implantation window, sometimes it feels like all you can do is wait. And let’s be honest, that two(ish) week wait between ovulation and your expected period is hard!
That’s why Proov Check tests are designed to detect hCG, the pregnancy hormone, up to five days before a missed period. While hCG levels (and the likelihood of a positive test) increase every day after implantation, you can test as early as 11 days after ovulation.
With Proov Check tests included in the Hers & His Fertility testing kit, you can start testing earlier so you know what to expect!
Benefits of At-Home Fertility Tests
In addition to our top five here, there are plenty of other benefits of at-home fertility testing like the Hers & His Kit. You don’t need a physician’s referral or a clinic visit, so you can test whenever is best for you and get the information you want.
At-home testing also means you can test every day of the fertile window and the implantation window quickly and easily, helping you get information about all parts of your cycle. If you do see a physician for a fertility evaluation, this information can be a valuable starting point.
Deciding if You & Your Partner are Good Candidates for Fertility Testing
Ultimately, it’s your choice to pursue fertility testing whenever you want to, and especially if you’re starting out trying to conceive, have been trying for a few months, or concerned about future fertility, having the information that fertility testing provides can help guide you towards next steps or give you peace of mind as you start trying.
There are some times that fertility testing is particularly recommended. These include:
- Trying for several months with no success
- Women over 35
- Women with PCOS or a history of early miscarriage
- Women with irregular periods
- Suspected secondary infertility
