Infertility and Assisted Conception Flashcards
what is the definition of infertility?
inability to conceive after twelve months regular intercourse without contraception
what is primary infertility?
when someone who has never had a child before has trouble conceiving
what is secondary infertility?
when someone who has had one or more pregnancies struggles to conceive
how long are regular menstrual cycles?
28-35 days
what is the first day of the menstrual cycle?
the first day of menstruation
what are the two phases of the menstrual cycle?
follicular phase
luteal phase
what defines the follicular and luteal phase?
ovulation
follicular before, luteal after
how long is the luteal phase?
ALWAYS 14 days long
how long is the follicular phase?
variable
how long does bleeding usually last during the menstrual cycle?
3-8 days
how is the length of the menstrual cycle annotated?
7 days bleeding out of a 28 day cycle = 7/28 for example
what is oligomenorrhoea?
cycles >35 days long
what is amenorrhoea?
absence of menstruation
what are the two types of amenorrhoea?
primary
secondary
what is primary amenorrhoea?
never had a period
what is secondary amenorrhoea?
had a period but now they have stopped
what triggers ovulation?
LH surge
what hormone peaks following ovulation?
progesterone
what can be used to detect ovulation and how does this work?
an ovulation predictor kit
detects the LH surge
when does the LH surge occur?
24-36 hours prior to ovulation
what are regular menstrual cycles suggestive of?
ovulation
how can ovulation be confirmed?
mudluteal serum progesterone >30nmol/L
should be taken on day 21/28 - adjust for cycle length
what do irregular cycles suggest and what should be done?
likely anovulatory
need further hormone evaluation
what are the five initial investigations done for infertility in a female?
day 21 progesterone TSH rubella immunity chlamydia screen up to date cervical smear
what blood tests are done if a female is amenorrhoeic or has cycles lasting longer than 42 days?
follicular phase bloods - LH, FSH, E2
testosterone
SHBG
prolactin
what initial investigation is done for infertility in males?
diagnostic semen analysis
what is azoospermia?
no sperm in ejaculate
what is asthenozoospermia?
% of progressive motile sperm is below the reference limit
what is the lower reference limit for sperm concentration?
16 x 10^6 per ml