At-Home Fertility Test, Fertell, Becomes Available for Men and Women

For the first time ever, a home fertility test is available for men and women without prescription. Fertell, the home fertility product, is sold for about $100 at drug stores and can potentially save couples hoping to conceive far more money than in investing in more sophisticated medical procedures, as reported on National Public Radio.

The kit is used for simultaneous testing in the man and the woman. The product works in under 90 minutes. The female test measures the amount of Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH) in the woman on the third day of her period. This testing indicates her Ovarian Reserve, measuring the age of her ovaries and their response to FSH in the production of eggs capable of fertilization, according to Fertell's website.

The man places semen into a testing device that tests the concentration of progressively motile sperm; those are the sperm capable of swimming and fertilizing an egg. If the motile sperm concentration is too low, which is the count per millileter, then natural fertilization is not likely to happen. This is why testing sperm count is often not a reliable indication of a man's fertility and ability to conceive.

The female's test takes about 30 minutes to complete, and the man's test takes about 80 minutes. The female takes her test on the third day of her period, and the man can test anywhere from two to seven days after his last ejaculation.

Dr. Harry Fisch, the director of the Male Reproductive Center at New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center, spoke on National Public Radio (NPR) today, June 4, in regard to the new Fertell test. He interviewed with NPR's Rebecca Roberts and told her that the test will promote awareness of fertility issues among couples hoping to conceive.

According to NPR, the test only indicates one indication of an individual's fertility, but it is one of primary significance.