There is no absolute predictor of fertility.
We can’t tell you if you’ll be able to get pregnant, and neither can any doctor. There's also no predictor of infertility, so we won't be able to tell you that you can't have kids either.
Think of your Grip test as a risk profile, rather than a yes or no answer. If you know your risks when you’re still young, then you still have all the options to do something about them.
According to the NHG Subfertility standards, these are the main risk factors that make it hard for women to get pregnant:
50%
Ovulation
30%
Blocked tubes
10%
Thyroid
1%
Egg count
Ovulation
We test LH, AMH, testosterone
Biology 101?
Ovulation is the process that your body goes through to release an egg each month. If you don’t release an egg, then you can’t get pregnant.
Why does it matter?
1 in 5 women suffer from PolyCystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS), a condition that makes your ovulation unpredictable, and sometimes stops you from ovulating entirely. A Grip test can’t diagnose PCOS, but if you have a high T value in combination with having high AMH, then you have 75% certainty that you suffer from PCOS.
Blocked tubes
We test Chlamydia IgG
Biology 101?
Once you release an egg through ovulation, and that egg gets fertilised by a sperm, it needs to travel down your fallopian tubes to get to the uterus. You can’t get pregnant if the fertilised egg can’t get through the tubes.
Why does it matter?
60% of blocked tubes are because of scarring due to infections that you’ve once had, and the most common infection is the STD chlamydia. Women often don’t get symptoms, which means chlamydia goes undetected.
We test your blood for antibodies against chlamydia, to see if you’ve once had it. That of course doesn’t mean that your tubes are blocked, but if you’re surprised to test positive, then you may want to have a think. The only way to prove that your tubes are blocked is through an HSG test or a foam echo, an invasive procedure where a doctor puts a dye in your fallopian tubes, and sees if it comes out on the other side.
Thyroid
We test TSH
Biology 101?
Your thyroid is a gland that produces hormones which regulate a tonne of things in your body. It can be over- or underactive, causing issues with your weight, your body temperature, and your fertility. Once diagnosed, thyroid issues are relatively easy to treat and manage.
Why does it matter?
1 in 8 women suffer from thyroid issues, often undiagnosed. Having an underactive thyroid makes it hard to get pregnant, and puts you at risk of having a miscarriage. It’s worth finding out if your thyroid is off, in particular given how easy it is to treat it. A normal TSH level means that your thyroid functions well.
Egg count
We test AMH
Biology 101?
If you have ovaries, then you were born with all the eggs you’ll ever have. Every month you lose thousands as your body prepares for releasing one during ovulation. Menopause is when you have released all your eggs, and your ovarian reserve is empty.
Why does it matter?
About 1 in 100 women suffer from early ovarian failure, which basically means you enter menopause under 40. The hormone AMH correlates with the number of follicles that you have left in your ovarian reserve, and is the most reliable predictor that we’ve got. AMH can help you understand how large (or small) your fertile window is. It’s not a perfect predictor, but it’s a useful datapoint.
What we can't tell you
-
If you are fertile
-
Your chance of having a baby
-
How long it will take you to conceive
-
If your eggs are high quality
What we can tell you
-
If you have a normal amount of eggs for your age
-
If you might enter menopause early
-
If you have a higher risk of blocked tubes
-
If you have a higher risk of PCOS
-
If your thyroid is working well
-
If you're a good candidate for egg freezing or IVF
We test the same hormones as a fertility clinic would
AMH
Anti-Mullerian Hormone is produced by cells from the small follicles in a woman’s ovaries and is used as a marker of egg quantity.
Chlamydia IgG
Chlamydia Trachomatis IgG are the antibodies that remain in the body after it's fought off a chlamydia infection. It doesn't pick up current chlamydia infections.
LH
Luteinisizing Hormone
is responsible for triggering monthly ovulation, and used in the diagnosis of PCOS.
Total T
Testosterone is often thought of as a male hormone, but women also produce small quantities. An imbalance in testosterone can indicate PCOS.
TSH
Thyroid Stimulating Hormone helps diagnose thyroid disorders: hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism.
Can I test if I am on
Birth control?
Yes! But we usually can't test your ovulation, because most women on birth control don't ovulate.
We can test AMH and Chlamydia IgA, but not LH, TSH, and T.
Read more here, or take the quiz.
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