I read that Mary (the Australian woman who recently married into the Danish royal family) was tested prior to the marriage to check that she would be able to produce an heir. (sorry can’t find the original article where I read this)
Is this true?
Also, is it possible to conclusively test if someone can produce offspring? I thought some checks could be made, but whether or not both gametes could combine successfully and whether or not implantation could be achieved successfully was up in the air until it actually occurred?
IANAD, but I do know something about fertility testing.
There are different blood tests that can be done to check hormone levels that are essential to ovulation and conception. There are also radiological exams like the hysterosalpingogram which look at the reproductive tract to ensure the tubes and such are open and functioning. An ultrasound might also be done to look at the reproductive tract; this test can also measure blood flow to the uterus.
These aren’t conclusive by any stretch. Some women undergo all this testing (and the HSG isn’t particularly comfortable, and is, in fact, invasive) and don’t get pregnant. There are many factors involved with reproduction that can’t be tested for, like weight and such.
Weight can be measured, and it can be a factor in fertility, but some overweight (or underweight) women can get pregnant. It’s one of those “dunno til it happens” kinda things, but a doctor will tell a woman with weight issues to resolve them before conceiving.
In addition to the HSG there are other tests that can be performed. One measure often used in women over thirty five is a blood test taken at the third day of one’s menstrual cycle.
Doctors look for hormones levels that can indicate whether or not a woman’s ovaries are functioning. For instance, if a woman has an FSH level that’s 10 or above she may face difficulties getting and staying pregnant.
Since a fair amount of female infertility is caused by tubal factor of failure of ovulation, I’d imagine that something like and HSG or HYCOSI to check tubal patency and a 21 day hormone level to check for ovulation would be done.
But that still leaves male factor and “unexplained” factors which are still both common causes of infertility.
With between 5 and 15% of women between 15 and 35 testing positive for chlamydia (an infection which can glue up your tubes and is a major cause of tubal infertility) it doesn’t seem unreasonable to test for that either. Women who have had a previous diagnosis of chlamydia should seek medical help if they cannot conceive after 6-9months of attempting, rather than the usual 12-18months.
Perhaps there were reasons why the Danish royal family felt that this particular princess needed fertilty testing?
