For many women, discovering that their ovarian reserve is lower than expected, often indicated by a low Anti-Müllerian Hormone (AMH) level, can be unsettling.
What is your ovarian reserve?
Your ovarian reserve is the number of eggs left in your ovaries. Incredibly, women are born with all the eggs they will ever have – around 2 million! But their quantity and quality deteriorate with age.
From around 35 years of age, your ovarian reserve progressively declines until menopause. For women experiencing premature menopause, their ovarian reserve declines even earlier.
AMH is a hormone produced by follicles in the ovaries, which contain your eggs. As a result, the level of AMH in your blood is a good indicator of your ovarian reserve. The AMH blood test tells us how many eggs you have remaining, as well as providing us with a guide of how many fertile years you have ahead.
Please note this test can only identify how many eggs you have left; unfortunately, there’s no test to advise on the quality of the remaining eggs.
Should I have an AMH test done?
You might want to have the AMH blood test if you:
- are having trouble conceiving
- want to check that your ovarian reserve (the number of eggs in your ovaries) is within the healthy range for your age
- are concerned about factors that could have affected your ovarian reserve, such as chemotherapy or family history of early menopause
What causes early ovarian decline?
Besides natural ageing, factors like genetics, autoimmune conditions, or previous surgeries can affect ovarian reserve.
What are your options if you do have a low AMH?
- Early family planning: If possible, consider trying to conceive sooner rather than later.
- Egg freezing: Freezing your eggs at a younger age preserves your fertility options.
- IVF tailored for low ovarian reserve: Protocols can be adapted to maximise egg retrieval even when reserves are low.
- Donor eggs: When necessary, donor eggs offer an excellent chance of pregnancy.
- Emotional support: It’s normal to feel overwhelmed if you have just been told of a low AMH level; reaching out for counselling or peer support can help.
At Repromed, we take a personalised approach to fertility care. If you have been diagnosed with low AMH or early ovarian decline, it’s important to remember that there are still options available. We may recommend retesting through our in-house laboratory which specialises in fertility diagnostics and reporting. Most importantly, know that we’re here to support and guide you every step of the way.
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