About 15% of all couples who want to get pregnant need help because both or one party is infertile. That is, the woman has not become pregnant after a year of trying or that one has lost three or more pregnancies before the embryos were viable. Approximately every 10th child is made today using fertility treatment, so remember that there is plenty of hope, even if a little help is needed.

The National Board of Health recommends that you contact your doctor / gynecologist if you are infertile. And that you already do so after 6 months of trying, if the woman is over 35 years old. Read more here about the free fertility treatment in Denmark: Which kind of assistance can I get if I don't get pregnant? – Gravidtid

 So, the general practitioner is the first step towards get a referral to public fertility treatment 

Examination by the doctor

When you as a single woman or as a woman in a couple contact your doctor to get a referral for public fertility treatment, you will start with a talk about how and for how long you have been trying to get pregnant. 

Blood tests and examination 

Next, the doctor will take some blood tests to examine the woman for HIV, hepatitis B, hepatitis C and her metabolic rate. The woman will test, if you have chlamydia, and if it is more than 3 years since the woman last had a smear, the doctor will do a new cell sample. The doctor will also ask if the woman has had rubella or has been vaccinated against it (it is you if you have followed the childhood vaccination program) If you have not been vaccinated or have had rubella, then the doctor will recommend vaccination. After the vaccination, one must wait a month to try to achieve pregnancy. Finally, the doctor will perform, or order, an AMH blood test. The AMH blood test is an expression of the woman's egg reserve. One measures the woman's level of Anto-Müllerian Hormone. AMH is the hormone that is formed in the small early ovaries in the ovary and can show the number of remaining ovaries. Usually, the higher the AMH level, the more eggs the female has. The woman will also have her FSH level examined. FSH is a follicle-stimulating hormone that causes the ovarian follicles to grow. The FSH level thus says something about the ovaries' capacity to produce ova. If the ovaries are working at decreased capacity, the body will turn up the FSH hormone. A high FSH number can therefore mean that there is a reduced function in the ovaries and a reduced egg reserve. The blood test will also measure the woman's Lutropin (LH) level, which signals ovulation. FSH and LH levels must be taken within the first three days of a menstrual cycle. If the woman's BMI is over 27 or she is otherwise in the risk group for getting diabetes, one will also measure her average blood sugar (HBA1c) Finally, the doctor will do a blood test for PCOS if the woman has a very irregular or long menstrual cycle, for example. 

First visit to public fertility clinic

After the visit, you will be referred to a public fertility clinic at a hospital, which will also be based on the answers to the blood tests and examinations performed by the doctor prior to the referral to the fertility clinic.

At the fertility clinic, the woman will be scanned so the doctor can examine the woman's uterus, her tuba passage and see her follicles and ovaries. If both fallopian tubes are closed, the woman will immediately be offered IVF (test tube) treatment rather than insemination. If one of the fallopian tubes works, the woman will either be offered surgery or be offered 3 IUI (insemination) treatments with partner sperm or up to 6 treatments with donor sperm. If the woman has an irregular or long menstrual cycle of more than 35 days, the woman will initially receive medical treatment for this or insemination when one is sure that she is ovulating. For the first visit, the blood tests and examinations will thus result in a plan for the further course being agreed with the staff at the clinic. 

Waiting time for fertility treatment

There can be a big difference in the waiting time for the public fertility clinics. There is no treatment guarantee when it comes to fertility treatment, and it also means that you will have to wait until the public fertility clinic has time without the opportunity to get a faster time at a private clinic (unless you pay for it). However, free choice of hospital in Denmark exists, and it can therefore be advantageous to examine waiting times, patient satisfaction and satisfaction with the staff, if you would like to be examined as soon as possible after you have received a referral from your doctor: https: //www.health.dk / Topics / Patients-and-hospitals / MitSygehusvalg under "search for treatment" you write "fertility treatment", then the possibilities come up. 

Some statistics

Statistics from the public fertility clinics indicate that about 1/3 of the couples who come into fertility treatment need help because of the man's fertility. The second third is due to the fertility of the woman, while the last third is due to the fertility of both parties. Test your fertility at home yourself If you initially want to test your fertility in peace and quiet at home, you can try our FSH Menopause test: Femometer FSH Klimakterietest – Gravidtid

If you would like to know more about your cycle and ovulation you can try our ovulation tests: Ægløsningstests – Gravidtid

Source: Rigshospitalet, Sundhed.dk, borger.dk, Nordsjællands Hospital.