Infertility is classified as a “functional” diagnosis by doctors. That means someone can only be labeled as infertile if they haven’t been able to become pregnant—or get their spouse pregnant—after a year of trying.
It’s no surprise that the idea of a fertility test has a lot of appeal; wouldn’t it be amazing if women could know their odds of becoming pregnant before they start trying? That could help people plan better, start right into fertility treatments if they need them, or store their eggs sooner to prepare for the difficulties they may face later. There are “fertility tests”; they’re more formally known as testing of ovarian reserve, and they’re more exact.
What is ovarian reserve testing?
An anti-Mullerian hormone blood test and an antral follicle count are commonly used to assess ovarian reserve, which is a fancy term for egg count.
The quantity of AMH in the blood can help doctors predict the number of follicles inside the ovaries. Anti-Müllerian Hormone is a protein hormone made in the ovarian follicles by cells. An antral follicle count, on the other hand, is done during an ultrasound by a physician. The physician can count the “active” follicles after viewing the ovaries and use that quantity to determine a woman’s overall ovarian reserve.
FSH, estradiol, and inhibin tests on the third day of the menstrual period are older and less accurate ways of determining ovarian reserve. FSH, or follicle-stimulating hormone, is a hormone that aids in the maturation and release of an egg from the ovarian follicle. High FSH levels, in contrast to AMH, are linked to a limited ovarian reserve.
Many fertility experts and healthcare experts have referred to these tests as “essential” and “vital.” Researchers found that women with low AMH levels (less than 0.7ng/ml) and/or high FSH levels (more than 10 mIU/mL in a blood test) don’t have a considerably lower (or higher!) chance of getting pregnant in 12 months than women with normal hormone levels in a recently published study of 750 women trying to conceive.
Every woman needs more information than just “can I get pregnant right now?” This testing, when tracked over time, assist women in understanding their reproductive timelines, which are as different as our metabolisms. Ovarian reserve testing is also useful for determining when women will enter menopause and evaluating the success of egg freezing and IVF.
Wrapping up!
Ovarian reserve is an aspect of your overall reproductive health. Your age, lifestyle, and health history all have a role in influencing your chances of becoming pregnant. Women frequently receive their “numbers” without a thorough examination of what those figures signify for them, as well as their fertility and family planning objectives. The best approach to comprehend this information is to seek the advice of a fertility professional, such as our doctors and nurses.