Ovarian Reserve Testing- AMH

Females are born with approximately 1 million eggs and this number declines with age through natural attrition and ovulation but, the rate at which a woman can ‘lose’ eggs during her reproductive life varies greatly from individual to individual.

The number of eggs remaining at a given time, in a female is her ‘ovarian reserve.’

We can now estimate your ovarian reserve with a very simple blood test, it measures a hormone known as AMH; or Anti-Mullerian hormone, which can give us a good indication of your fertility status and an estimate of your ovarian reserve.

What is the basis behind the test?

AMH is produced by the granulosa cells in the developing early antral follicles of the ovary and as the number of eggs decline, the number of small antral follicles also declines along with the AMH.

This means that AMH is a clinically useful measure of the ovarian reserve, so as an early indication of your fertility status, AMH can help you decide whether to start a family sooner or later.

What if my AMH is low?

Once the ovary runs out of eggs, the body can’t produce more and often the last remaining eggs can be of a lesser quality, so If you’re in a relationship and have a low ovarian reserve, the best option for having children is to go ahead and try as soon as possible.

If a woman experiences premature menopause, Dr Richika can take you through all your viable options including the use of donor eggs.

We believe that information and knowledge is power and this test is one way you can take charge of your fertility future today.

You may be at increased risk of having a low AMH if you have:

  • A family history of early menopause or reduced AMH
  • Had a surgery to the ovary
  • Severe endometriosis
  • Had previous chemotherapy or radiotherapy