Fertility Center & Applied Genetics of Florida Launches Expanded Infertility Evaluation for Couples Facing Infertility

Our advanced diagnostic program finds hidden issues before treatment—sperm DNA analysis, BCL6 testing, bacteriology, and genetic screening for both partners.

SARASOTA, FL, UNITED STATES, May 18, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Fertility Center & Applied Genetics of Florida (FCAG), a private fertility and reproductive genetics clinic with in-house embryology and andrology laboratories, today announced the launch of its Expanded Infertility Evaluation, a comprehensive diagnostic program for couples whose infertility may not be fully explained by standard testing. The clinic is led by Julio E. Pabon, M.D., F.A.C.O.G., Medical and Laboratory Director, and operates from two Florida locations in Sarasota and Bonita Springs.

The program rests on a simple idea. Infertility is often multifactorial, and the most expensive fertility treatment is the one that was never going to work because a correctable factor went undetected. Rather than moving patients quickly into trial cycles, the program looks first for subtle or hidden contributors to infertility in both partners, then builds a treatment plan around what the testing actually reveals.

A Diagnostic Program Built Around Both Partners

Male factors contribute to infertility in up to half of all couples. Yet in many clinics, male testing still stops at a single basic semen analysis run by a general lab. FCAG's Expanded Infertility Evaluation includes a deeper male assessment, paired with an expanded full female evaluation.

The program includes:
- In-house semen analysis that measures sperm concentration, motility, morphology, and volume, performed by FCAG's own andrology laboratory.
- Sperm DNA fragmentation testing, which checks sperm DNA integrity that standard semen parameters cannot see, and which can affect fertilization, embryo development, implantation, and miscarriage risk.
- Sperm QT testing, a newer genetic test that looks at roughly 1,200 functional genes tied to the sperm's ability to find, bind to, and penetrate the egg. Few clinics offer it, and it can give a clear reason for unexplained infertility or repeated IUI failure.
- Tubal and pelvic evaluation, including hysterosalpingogram (HSG), saline infusion sonogram, and selective use of minimally invasive laparoscopy when imaging alone cannot answer the clinical question.
- Endometrial testing for BCL6 protein, a marker tied to inflammation and endometriosis-related implantation problems, sometimes present in patients with no classic endometriosis symptoms.
- Ovarian reserve testing, including Anti-Müllerian Hormone (AMH), Day 2-3 FSH and estradiol, and antral follicle count by ultrasound.
- Prenatal laboratory screening, including blood type and Rh status, immunity screening (rubella, varicella), thyroid function, and infectious disease screening.
- Expanded genetic carrier screening for both partners, covering hundreds of inherited recessive conditions. If both partners carry the same condition, the findings open the door to IVF with preimplantation genetic testing for monogenic disease (PGT-M).
- Screening for Mycoplasma and Ureaplasma pathogens that have recently been recognized to be relevant in patients with recurrent miscarriage and unexplained infertility.
- Evaluation for Chronic Inflammation of the Endometrium with CD-138 staining of an endometrial biopsy sample.

Why It Matters

"Most couples who come to us have already spent months, sometimes years, trying to conceive," said Dr. Pabon, who is board-certified in both Obstetrics and Gynecology and in Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility. "The most important thing we can do at that point is not rush them into a treatment cycle. We take the time to figure out what is actually going on. Finding a correctable factor early, whether it is a sperm DNA issue, a uterine inflammation marker, or a shared recessive gene, changes the whole plan."

The evaluation aims to help couples avoid the trial-and-error pattern that happens when treatment starts before the picture is clear. For some couples, the testing points to IVF with ICSI as the most direct first step rather than a series of IUI cycles unlikely to work. For others, it finds a treatable problem before embryo transfer rather than after a failed cycle, such as a hydrosalpinx, an endometrial polyp, or BCL6 overexpression.

Building on a Pioneer Legacy in Genetic-Informed Fertility Care

FCAG has performed IVF since 1996 and achieved the first preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) pregnancy in Florida in 1999, with a live birth in 2000. Today, more than 98% of the clinic's IVF treatments include genetic testing of embryos as part of its single-embryo-transfer program, a model built to reduce the documented risks of multiple-gestation pregnancies. FCAG was also the first clinic in Florida to offer single euploid blastocyst transfers for both fresh and frozen-thawed cycles.

The Expanded Infertility Evaluation extends that same genetic-informed approach into the diagnostic phase, so the treatment plan reflects what each couple actually needs from the start.

Availability

The Expanded Infertility Evaluation is available now at FCAG's Sarasota and Bonita Springs offices. Components are chosen and sequenced based on each couple's medical history and prior workup. Not every patient needs every test. Out-of-state and international patients, who make up a meaningful share of FCAG's caseload, can coordinate parts of the evaluation in advance of an in-person visit.

Couples interested in learning more, or in scheduling a consultation, can visit geneticsandfertility.com/services/expanded-infertility-evaluation or contact either FCAG office directly.

About Fertility Center & Applied Genetics of Florida

Fertility Center & Applied Genetics of Florida (FCAG) is a full-service fertility and reproductive genetics clinic serving patients across Florida, the United States, and internationally. The clinic operates two locations in Sarasota and Bonita Springs, with in-house embryology and andrology laboratories, a clinical team, and a preimplantation genetic testing program that has been active since 1999. FCAG is led by Julio E. Pabon, M.D., F.A.C.O.G., Medical and Laboratory Director, who is board-certified in both Obstetrics and Gynecology and in Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility.

The practice has performed IVF since 1996 and was the first clinic in Florida to achieve a preimplantation genetic diagnosis pregnancy (1999, with a live birth in 2000). It was also the first clinic in Florida to offer single euploid blastocyst transfers for both fresh and frozen-thawed embryo transfer cycles.

Today, more than 98% of FCAG's IVF treatments include genetic testing of embryos.

Services include IVF, ICSI, IUI, preimplantation genetic testing (PGT-A, PGT-M, PGT-SR), microsurgical sperm aspiration, tubal reversal, egg donor IVF, gestational carrier programs, and sex selection IVF.

Julio E. Pabon, M.D., F.A.C.O.G.
Fertility Center & Applied Genetics of Florida
+1 941-342-1568
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