Most couples are aware of the potential hazards of putting off “trying for a baby” – and rightly so. As less than 2.2 per cent of women over 43 who undergo IVF are successful, it’s not as if there is an easy solution on hand for couples who fail to conceive naturally.
But now a host of fertility tests is piggybacking on to this fear that women (and, yes, men) may be leaving it too late. The most established test measures a woman’s follicle stimulating hormone, or FSH. This fluctuates slightly through the menstrual cycle, but rises in the menopause. However, this test is not useful for everyone, as it may not give much more meaningful information beyond what a woman already knows about her body.
Margaret McCartney
Clive Cookson
Andrew Jack