Huhner Test

The Huhner test is a fertility test which assesses how well the sperm and your cervical mucus match. It is used in cases of both male and female infertility. Problems with the composition and quantity of cervical mucus account for 3% to 8% of all cases of infertility. In normal conditions, fertile cervical mucus has a pH level of 6.5 to 8.5 and should be able to stretch 10cm in either direction.

The Huhner test examines your cervical mucus a few hours after intercourse has taken place. A sample of cervical mucus is taken from the cervix during the fertile days (the results are only valid if the test is performed at the fertile time of the menstrual cycle). This will be used to verify that you have enough cervical fluid to allow sperm to survive and swim towards the Fallopian tubes to meet the egg.

The results of the Huhner test are assessed according to the following guidelines:

• If more than 5 motile sperm are found in each microscope field, the test is positive.
• If no motile sperm are found, the test is negative.
• If 1-4 motile sperms are found in each field, the result is weak. A new test will usually be performed during the following cycle.

If the results of the Huhner test show that there are problems with your cervical mucus, you can improve the mucus quality with the use of certain medications prescribed by your doctor. Tablets are often used first and if the results of the Huhner test do not improve as a result, injections of higher doses of drugs may be recommended or, alternatively, your doctor might decide that artificial insemination will improve your chances of conception.

Insemination involves transferring the sperm to a point where they are very near to where they would normally meet the egg without having to rely on the cervical mucus to fulfil this function.

Timing intercourse during your fertile window will greatly improve your chances of successfully achieving pregnancy. This is why monitoring ovulation is critical when trying to get pregnant. The technology used by DuoFertility can help you identify with 99% accuracy your fertile days every menstrual cycle, without the inconvenience of having to wake early to measure your body basal temperature (BBT).

Read more about the causes of infertility.

Read more about infertility treatments.