Mother's Day is for Future Moms, Too

It’s never too early for women to learn their Fertility Profile

ST. PETERS, Mo. (May 9, 2010) – This Mother’s Day, Fertility Partnership in St. Peters, Mo., is launching a nationwide effort to help educate women about their fertility potential - their possibility of someday having a child, as well as roadblocks they may face due to a variety of factors.  According to the American Society of Reproductive Medicine (ASRM), 1 in 5 women in the U.S. have their first child after age 35. Unfortunately, recent studies have shown that 90 percent of a woman's eggs are gone by age 30, meaning that while many women delay childbearing, that delay may cause difficulties when women decide to try to conceive. More than 7 million U.S. couples have difficulties conceiving - a problem that is more widespread than breast cancer. How many of those fertility issues could have been avoided with proper advance screening?

To combat infertility problems even before they become an issue and increase the odds women will be able to have a baby when the time is right for them, Fertility Partnership is recommending that every woman around age 30 who has not yet had a child complete the Fertility Profile. This Profile consists of three simple and relatively inexpensive tests that can be performed by most OB/GYNs or family practitioners.

Recommended FERTILITY PROFILE TESTS:

• Day 3 FSH (Follicle Stimulating Hormone) - blood test to estimate egg supply (ovarian reserve)
• AMH (anti-mullerian hormone) - blood test to check ovarian reserve and other potential problems
• Antral follicle count - ultrasound to count resting follicles in the ovaries and estimate ovarian reserve

The outreach effort was born of a need seen by Fertility Partnership Medical Director Dr. Elan Simckes.  “I had women coming to my office with fertility challenges saying ‘I didn’t know, no one told me, how could this be happening?'" says Dr. Simckes. "I knew I had to do something to spread the word that there are simple, relatively inexpensive tests available that may save women or couples much heartbreak down the road.”

There are many advantages to a woman learning her ovarian reserve and ability to release eggs. If problems are uncovered in a woman’s 30s, these issues may be easier and less expensive to treat. It also gives women the information necessary to make informed decisions about their reproductive health and timing of conception.

A more detailed test called a Hysterosalpingogram may also be prescribed.  This test, completed in a radiology office, helps diagnose blocked fallopian tubes or other uterine abnormalities.

Men can also participate in the Fertility Profile. If they plan to delay conception with their partner past age 30, Dr. Simckes recommends conducting a simple semen analysis to determine the amount, number and quality of sperm. This test can be done quickly, easily and discreetly by a urologist.

“We believe these simples tests for both women and men have the power to transform fertility care by allowing both to know much more about their odds of getting pregnant and to more successfully plan the timing of starting a family. It may be an old saying, but it holds true in this case - knowledge is power,” says Dr. Simckes.

EDITOR’S NOTE Interviews available with:
Dr. D. Elan Simckes,
Medical Director, Fertility Partnership

Allyson Czajkowski
Patient Undergoing Fertility Profile

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