Pre-treatment screening for international intended parents: what to expect and how to prepare

Before any fertility treatment can begin — whether you are pursuing IVF abroad, egg or sperm donation, or a more complex assisted reproduction journey — your chosen clinic will require a series of medical tests and screenings. For international intended parents, this stage can feel particularly daunting: you are not yet at the clinic, you may not speak the language of the country where treatment will take place, and you are not sure what tests are needed, where to get them done, or how to get the results to the right people.

The good news is that pre-treatment screening is almost always something you can complete close to home — and with the right guidance, it is far more straightforward than it first appears.

Why screening matters

Pre-treatment screening serves several important purposes. It gives your clinic a clear picture of your current reproductive health, identifies any conditions that might affect treatment or outcomes, ensures that both partners — where applicable — are medically eligible to proceed, and in many cases forms the legal and medical basis for the agreements that follow. Skipping or rushing this stage is never advisable. A thorough screening is in your interest as much as it is a requirement of the clinic.

What screening typically involves

The exact tests required will vary depending on your pathway, your clinic, and your destination country — but the following categories are common across most international fertility programmes.

For intended mothers, standard screening typically includes hormonal blood tests to assess ovarian reserve and reproductive health, an ultrasound to evaluate the uterus and ovaries, infectious disease testing, a general health assessment, and in some cases a uterine evaluation such as a hysteroscopy or sonohysterography. Genetic carrier screening may also be recommended depending on family history or the specific program.

For intended fathers, screening typically includes a semen analysis — assessing sperm count, motility, morphology, and DNA fragmentation — along with infectious disease testing and a general health assessment. Genetic carrier screening may also be recommended.

For same-sex couples and single intended parents, requirements are adapted accordingly — your clinic will specify exactly what is needed based on your situation and the pathway you are pursuing.

In third-party assisted reproduction cases, the gestational carrier and any gamete donors will also undergo comprehensive medical and psychological screening managed by the agency or clinic. This is separate from the intended parents' own screening requirements.

Getting screened close to home

One of the most practical advantages of working with Family Prospects is that we help you identify clinics and laboratories near your home that can carry out the required tests — rather than requiring you to travel to your destination clinic for this stage. In most cases, your local gynaecologist, fertility specialist, or a private diagnostic laboratory can perform the majority of tests required. We then coordinate the transfer of your results directly to your chosen clinic abroad.

This saves you time, money, and unnecessary travel at a stage when you are still in the planning phase of your journey.

A note on timing

Some tests — particularly hormonal blood tests for women — are cycle-dependent and need to be carried out on specific days of the menstrual cycle. It is important to plan ahead and not leave screening to the last minute. Your clinic will provide a detailed protocol specifying exactly when each test should be done. We help you understand and follow that protocol, and coordinate with your local provider to make sure everything is completed on schedule.

What happens with your results

Once your screening is complete, your results will need to be sent to your clinic in the required format — which may include certified translations if your tests were carried out in a language other than the clinic's working language. We manage this process on your behalf, ensuring that your results arrive in the right format, to the right people, at the right time — so that your treatment timeline is not delayed by administrative issues.

How Family Prospects can help

Pre-treatment screening is one of those stages that sounds simple but has a lot of moving parts — especially when you are coordinating between a laboratory near your home, a clinic in another country, and potentially legal and insurance requirements that depend on the results. We take care of that coordination for you, so you can focus on the more important things.

If you are not sure what screening you will need or how to get started, book a free consultation with Juan. He will walk you through exactly what is required for your specific pathway and destination, and explain how we can help make the process as smooth as possible.