Home Test Costs
Home fertility tests for men and for women can now be bought online, in grocery stores, and at pharmacies throughout the United States. The tests vary in price, greatly. Generally speaking, the more complicated the test (i.e. the more components it has) and the more aspects of fertility it measures, the more expensive the price.
A digital female fertility test kit, for example, is going to cost a lot more than a simpler urine stick test.
In the case of male fertility tests, a test pack that includes a microscope and slides for examining sperm motility (movement) will cost more than a test which measures sperm concentration only.
Many couples view home fertility testing as a cheaper alternative to testing in a fertility clinic. But is this true? We're going to start by looking at some average prices of home fertility tests, and then consider some of the factors which are likely to make home fertility testing more expensive than it first appears.
Typical Test Costs
All the prices listed here are based on the sale prices of a very well known online shop, at the time of writing. Prices will change over time. For up-to-date information, do a current online search for the product in which you are interested.
Female Test Costs
There are a great many brands of female home fertility tests on the market. Most are based on an ovulation predication system. Some examples:
Clearblue Easy Fertility Monitor - this is a digital fertility test selling online for approximately $148. It is suitable for long-term use. However, refill packs of test sticks are required. One packet of 30 sticks costs $37.
Clearblue Digital Ovulation Test - this is a digital form of the well-known ovulation predictor kit. This will set you back $18 for 7 tests.
First Response Fertility Test Kit - this is not an ovulation predictor kit. Rather, it measures the levels of certain hormones required for normal function of the menstrual cycle including conception and pregnancy. This is a urine test, similar to a pregnancy test, in which you pee onto an absorbent tip. It costs $21.
First Response One-Stop Ovulation Predictor - this is a more conventional ovulation predictor kit. You'll pay $18 for 7 tests.
Male Test Costs
Male home fertility tests are predominantly available for purchase online, as opposed to in shops. Most tests measure sperm count, but some measure sperm quality too.
Micra - this is sperm concentration and motility test (this is the one that includes the microscope and slides). It sells for $80.
Pre-Conceive Male Fertility - this sperm count test costs $40.
SpermCheck is a new home male fertility test due to enter the market in 2010. It will cost somewhere between $21 and $29.
Other Factors
When comparing the cost of home testing to that of laboratory testing, you should bear the following points in mind:
- The producers of many tests recommend that you use the test more than once to be sure that you have an accurate result (this means buying more than one test, in a lot of cases).
- Women with unpredictable menstrual cycles may go through a very large number of ovulation predictor kits in one month, generating more expense.
- Many couples who get a negative result on a home fertility test end up seeing a doctor anyway. This is because they have found a fertility problem, which they now want to have treated. In this case, the doctor is not just going to take their word for it, he's going to retest in the lab. This cost is added to the cost of the home testing.
- Many couples have trouble interpreting the results of home fertility tests. So, just like the couples who get negative results, they end up seeing a doctor anyway, with the same consequences for their budget.
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