Lab Services

The Fertility Center’s on-site lab gives patients the advantage of timely results for testing and analysis of blood, urine and semen samples taken in or transferred to the Chattanooga office. Some results are available the same day; others may take up to 10 days. Specimens occasionally are sent to an outside laboratory such as Repromedix for more in-depth analyses that can require several weeks to process. Some patients choose to have an outside laboratory process their specimens due to insurance coverage restrictions.

Both men and women undergo blood work and cultures testing prior to participating in an in vitro fertilization (IVF) cycle at the Fertility Center. If results of any of the screening procedures are not satisfactory, you may be denied participation in the Fertility Center’s IVF Program, or it may be necessary to delay your IVF cycle in order to treat identified problems. This requirement for IVF Profile Labs helps us to maintain the health and safety of all participants as well as to provide the optimal environment for successful cycles. Blood studies must be current within one year.

IVF Profile testing includes screening both partners for the following:

Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)

Syphilis

Hepatitis B and C

Blood Type & Rh Factor

These additional screens are required for women:

                Rubella

Cystic Fibrosis Carrier

Cytomegalovirus (CMV)

Other tests that may be recommended are:

Activated Partial Thromboplastin Time (APTT)

Complete Blood Count (CBC)

Anti-Sperm Antibody

Chlamydia

Mycoplasma

Ureaplasm

Gonorrhea

Hyaluronan Binding Assay (HBA)

Antiphospholipid Antibodies (APA)

Thrombophilia Panel

Day 3 Labs are done on many female patients prior to participation in an IVF cycle to determine how responsive the ovaries may be to stimulation and what quality of eggs might be produced. An ovarian reserve test can help reproductive endocrinologists decide what types and quantities of medications are best to prescribe for each patient. This baseline blood work, which must be done on either day 2 or day 3 of a woman's menstrual cycle, checks the levels of three hormones – serum estradiol (E2), follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH).  Day 3 labs are optional tests based on each doctor’s discretion, although usually recommended for women over age 30.  NOTE: the first day of menstrual cycle flow is considered day 1.

Women age 34 or older with high follicle stimulating hormone levels (14 or greater) may need to take a Clomid Challenge test to help confirm if egg quality is diminishing. This test also can be used to confirm diminishing egg quality in younger women whose FSH levels are elevated in Day 3 Labs. Blood is drawn on day 3 of menstruation, 100 mg of clomiphene citrate is taken orally on each of days 5-9, and then blood is drawn again on day 10 to gauge how the ovaries responded. Higher FSH numbers can be a sign of poor egg quality, but  test results are general indicators as opposed to confirmations.