# New to this, hoping I'm not asking too daft a question?



## Little_Ms_Yellowhat (Aug 19, 2010)

Hiya, I am a single woman just starting out on this journey. I haven't even decided yet whether this is right for me, and I'm trying to find out as much as I can about all the options out there.
My question is, how do I approach seeing my gp to find out if I have fertility problems? I have PCOS and have had other conditions in the past which could affect my fertility. But never having tried to get pregnant with a partner, I don't know whether I have problems or not.
Would I just need to see my gp and ask for tests?
I feel so stupid asking this but I want to know my stuff before I see the gp, I don't want to be fobbed off!


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## morrigan (Dec 8, 2009)

Welcome- nothings a silly question in my mind.

My personal preference on this was to be totally up front and say- I am planning to have fertiltiy tx to conceive as I am single- can you do a preconception screen- I need blah blah blah. Theyve got no right to treat you any different to anyone else- I did ask my GP if she would support me and shes been great- It does depend on the GP though. You can always change if there not supportive.

It depends what tests you need also- do you know? They should def do FSH, LH and oestrodial and 21 day progesterone and rubella screen as these are fairly standard. I actually had amh done privately so I didn't ask for that. I persuaded her to do CMV status which is not standard preconception screen. I had my sexual health screening done at GUM clinic and just took them a list and said I want this doing as I'm having fertiltiy treatment- The first time I went I didn't tell them and they did standard tests which didn't include hepB so I think honesty is best policy. I just had to pay £25 to get the results in writing as they give them to you over the phone normally.

Good luck with your journey.


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## suitcase of dreams (Oct 7, 2007)

Hello and welcome   

This is a tricky one as it depends to some extent on how receptive you think your GP will be. If you had been trying for some time with a partner and went to ask for investigations/tests there would be no question, but it can be viewed differently when you are single (my GP for eg has not been very supportive and I have had to fund pretty much everything myself, even the basic tests)

You have a couple of options - if you think your GP will be open to it, then be honest and request the tests as a single woman. Option 2 would be to tell a little white lie and say that you've been trying for some time with a partner and have not conceived, so you'd like some explorations done...of course they may then want to also test your partner so you'd have say, for eg, that they don't live locally and are seeing their own GP etc
I personally prefer the honest route where possible as otherwise you can get caught up and not remember what you've said to whom....but then again if you think your GP will be unhelpful it may be necessary to be a bit 'economical' with the truth...

As Morrigan has said, FSH, LH and oestrodial (day 1-3 of your cycle) and 21 day progesterone are the key fertility tests you would need to get done. An additional test is AMH but your GP will not do this, you will have to pay privately (AMH measures number of eggs left/ovarian reserve)
If you are thinking of donor insemination, the other thing you may want to consider is a hycosy to check your tubes are clear (again GP can't do this and rare to get on NHS if single, you may need to pay a clinic)

The other tests are screening tests which don't have an impact on your fertility but which clinics require in order to treat you - you will save some money if your GP will do these for you (some can also be done by your local GUM clinic): rubella, CMV, hep B and C, HIV, TSH (thyroid levels), chlamydia - think that's all....

Best of luck, hope your GP can help - once you get involved with a clinic the costs soon add up so the more you can get done on the NHS/via your GP the better

Suitcase
x


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## bingbong (Dec 9, 2008)

Hi yellowhat,

just to add my experience. I can't remember what I told my GP origionally but they happily did the blood tests for me but wouldn't refer me to get my tubes checked. After two IUIs I went back and told a different GP what I was doing and that previously I'd been trying with a partner for a year but we'd broken up, that wasn't technically true, I had been with someone but we hadn't been trying. But he was happy to refer me to get my tubes checked and ordered more blood tests to check all my levels again. Thankfully I then had another IUI that worked and didn't need it.

Getting the day 21 progesterone is important for you with PCOS as it will check whether you're ovulating naturally, some people with PCOS don't or don't every month. Not sure what other issues you've had but they might go in your favour for getting your GP to refer you for further tests. 

The other thing that I'd do now while you're in the thinking phase is to track your cycles, so how many days your cycles are and what day you ovulate each month. You can buy ovulation tests (they're really cheap on ebay) but they sometimes don't work for people with PCOS. They didn't for me but I used the Clearblue Fertility Monitor and that worked for me. That will help you get to know your body and will be especially useful if you decided to try IUI.

Please ask if you have any other questions, I'm with morrigan in that there are no stupid questions. 

bingbong x


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## Bambiboo (Oct 23, 2009)

Hi Yellowhat,

The others have given you good advice about any tests you might want to get.

I can recommend a couple of really good books that I found useful when starting out and deciding whether this is for me or not.  First is "Single Mothers by Choice" by Mikki Mrrisette.  Second is "Knock yourself up" by Louise Sloan (ignore crass title!).  Both American books but you can get them on Amazon.

Good luck x x


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## Little_Ms_Yellowhat (Aug 19, 2010)

Thanks for all your detailed advice! I really am at the very beginning stages so I really didn't know what I'd need!
This has been really useful!
^<3^


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