if you are having periods
If you are having regular periods and are not on the pill or taking hormone replacement treatment, this almost certainly means that you are fertile.
The usual way to check your fertility is for your doctor to look at your menstrual cycle and do some blood tests at particular times in your cycle. The blood tests look at your sex hormone levels. The tests can also give some information about the number of eggs that you may have in your ovaries.
Your GP or cancer doctor can do the tests but they may ask a fertility specialist to discuss the results with you.
If you are taking the contraceptive pill or hormone replacement treatment (HRT), they can affect your sex hormone levels and make it difficult to assess your fertility. You may be asked to stop taking the pill or HRT for a short time, to help the doctors make the assessment. If you are sexually active, it is important to use another form of contraception while you are having these tests.
if you are not having periods
If you finished your cancer treatment at least six months ago and have not had any periods, a blood test can show whether your ovaries are still producing eggs.
The test can show whether you have become menopausal – which means you have stopped producing eggs or are producing fewer and fewer eggs.
If you are menopausal, your ovaries may still be releasing an egg every now and again. So, your doctor will advise you to still use contraception if you’re having sex and don’t want to become pregnant. Your doctor may also recommend that you start taking hormones, either as the contraceptive pill or hormone replacement treatment. This is to delay the other side effects of the menopause such as ageing of the skin and vaginal dryness.
Unfortunately, it is not possible to predict accurately whether a cancer treatment will definitely cause the menopause, but your cancer doctor should be able to tell you whether there is a chance of you having an early menopause.
If the tests are done on the NHS, they are free. If you decide to have a discussion with a doctor and get testing done privately, you will be charged for this.
does the test hurt?
No, the tests do not cause any pain, except for having blood tests.
how accurate is it?
The tests can show quite accurately if you are fertile or not.
test results
if the test shows normal egg production
If the tests show that your ovaries are producing eggs regularly, or from time to time, you need to use contraception if you’re not planning to be a mother.
You may find it useful to have the test repeated every year or few years to make sure that the situation has not changed.
if the tests show low hormone levels
If the ovaries are not producing eggs, or if the hormone levels are very low, you may be advised to have the tests repeated after some time. You can ask your doctor if you’re not sure whether you’ll need more tests. The tests can’t predict what may happen in the future and it is fine to ask to be tested again if you have changes in your menstrual cycle or any other related symptoms.
