Fertility diagnostics
Looking beyond standard testing
A clear guide to fertility investigations: what each test looks at, when it's worth considering, what it costs and what it can't tell you.
How we think about testing
Tests chosen for your situation, not a checklist for everyone
Clear prices, and what is and isn't included
Honest about the evidence, including what a result can't tell you
Start with your situation
Not sure which tests you need? Pick the situation closest to yours and we'll explain which investigations might be worth considering, and why.
Browse by test
Already know what you're looking for? Each test page explains what's involved, what's included in the price and what happens with your results.
Male fertility
Sperm quality, DNA and infection
- Semen analysis£229Sperm count, movement and shape. The usual first test.Relevant to: Male fertility · Fertility investigation · Preconception · IVF/ICSIIn guidelinesOrder directlyResults in 48 hours
- Sperm DNA fragmentationfrom £545DNA damage in sperm that a semen analysis can't see.Relevant to: Male fertility · Unexplained infertility · IVF/ICSI · Recurrent miscarriageSituationalResults in 14 days
- Semen culture£89Bacteria linked to infection or inflammation.Relevant to: Male fertility · Genitourinary infection · Abnormal semen parameters · InflammationSituationalOrder directly
Reproductive health
Microbiome, chromosomes and hormones
- Vaginal microbiome£325Maps vaginal bacteria, with guidance on treatment.Relevant to: Vaginal health · Fertility · IVF · Recurrent miscarriageEmergingOrder directlyResults in 14 days
- Karyotype (chromosome) testing£399 per personChromosome rearrangements linked to miscarriage.Relevant to: Recurrent miscarriage · Genetic investigation · Fertility investigationSituationalOrder directlyResults in 7 days
- Saliva hormone mapping£215Hormones and cortisol across your cycle.EmergingResults in 3 weeks
Blood and metabolic health
Hormones, thyroid, iron and blood sugar
- Fertility blood testsVariesHormone, thyroid and nutritional panels.In guidelines
- Comprehensive iron panelVariesPicks up iron deficiency that standard tests can miss.Situational
- Continuous glucose monitoring£300A 14-day sensor with nutritionist support.Relevant to: PCOS · Insulin resistance · Metabolic health · PreconceptionEmergingOrder directlyResults in 14 days
Tests we don't routinely offer
You may come across these elsewhere. We explain what they claim to show and what the evidence says.
- NK cell testingMeasures natural killer immune cells in blood or the womb lining. Offered by some clinics, but not supported by current guidelines.Not recommended outside research
- Endometrial receptivity testing (ERA)Used by some IVF clinics to time embryo transfer. Trials so far haven't shown it improves live birth rates for most people.Not routinely recommended
- Home fertility hormone kitsAt-home AMH and hormone tests. Useful as part of a wider picture, but they can't predict natural fertility on their own.Limited on their own
- Inherited thrombophilia screeningScreens for inherited clotting conditions. Not usually recommended without a personal or family history of blood clots.Only with other risk factors
- HLA testingTests couples for HLA compatibility. It hasn't been shown to help guide treatment for recurrent miscarriage.Not routinely recommended
- Seminal oxidative stress testsTests such as MiOXSYS measure oxidative stress in semen. How results should change treatment is still unclear.Evidence still limited
How we use diagnostics
Fertility is influenced by lots of interacting systems, from hormones and metabolic health to sperm quality and the microbiome. Standard investigations are a good start, but they don't look at everything.
In many cases, it isn't that there's no explanation. It's that the right investigations haven't been done yet. Equally, not everyone needs extensive testing, so we focus on the tests most likely to tell you something useful.
Where testing happens
At home with fingerprick, swab or saliva kits, in clinic, or with one of our phlebotomy partners. We work with carefully selected laboratories, including Examen, Salient Bio and The Doctors Laboratory.
Understanding your case
We start with your history, previous investigations and any treatment so far, to spot the gaps that haven't been explored.
Choosing targeted tests
Tests are chosen based on your situation, so you're not paying for investigations that won't change anything.
Interpreting results in context
Results are never read in isolation. We look at them alongside your history and symptoms to build a fuller picture.
Turning findings into a plan
Results guide acupuncture, nutrition and lifestyle support, and show when medical input or a referral is needed.
In focus
Sperm DNA fragmentation testing
A standard semen analysis doesn't look at the DNA inside sperm. We offer sperm DNA fragmentation testing with Examen, which can be particularly relevant in unexplained infertility, recurrent miscarriage and repeated IVF failure.
A pattern we often see
- 1A couple trying to conceive for two years
- 2All standard tests "normal"
- 3Further testing showed raised sperm DNA fragmentation
- 4Improvement after targeted support, then a natural conception
Common questions
If your question isn't here, you're welcome to get in touch.
Do I need a consultation before ordering a test?
Not always. Some tests can be ordered directly. For others we'd suggest a consultation first, so you don't spend money on a test that's unlikely to help. Each test page says which applies.
Will someone explain my results?
It depends on the test. Some include an explanation of your results, and each test page says what's included. If you'd like help pulling everything together, a consultation is the best way to do that.
Can you look at tests I've already had done?
Yes. Reviewing your existing results is part of every initial consultation, and it's often where we find the most useful gaps. If you'd like a quicker steer first, Check with Verity First is a brief written review for £35.
Why don't you offer every test?
Some widely marketed tests aren't well supported by evidence, or their results wouldn't change what you do next. We'd rather explain those honestly than sell them, and our situation pages cover some of the ones people ask about most.
Not sure what to do next?
A consultation can clarify where further investigation may be useful, and where it may not be needed.
Fertility initial consultation
£18060 minutes. A full review of your case and existing tests, which diagnostics might be missing, and a personalised plan.
Not sure where to start?
Check with Verity First
£35Send a short account of your journey and your existing results, and Verity will suggest the most useful next step. It's a brief review rather than a full treatment plan, and the £35 can be credited towards a later consultation or acupuncture appointment.