What is a AMH test?

Men can produce an infinite number of sperms, with millions in reserve. Women, on the other hand, have a limited supply of eggs for their whole lives. Once a woman exhausts all her eggs, there is no chance of conceiving naturally thereafter. Women generally become completely infertile after they have hit menopause. It is, therefore, important for women to identify and gauge their ovarian reserve if they ever plan to have a baby.

Anti-Mullerian Hormone (AMH) test is a simple blood test to analyse a woman's ovarian reserve and diagnose problems such as PCOD, early menopause, or low ovarian reserve.

This test can give some insight on the remaining quantity of eggs and duration of fertility, but no concrete information about the quality of eggs.

Anti-Mullerian Hormone (AMH) is a protein hormone made by the cells lining the follicles (sacs that hold the eggs).  Low levels of AMH indicate low ovarian reserve, while high levels of AMH suggest a bright future fertility probability.

The AMH test has proved to be a good evaluator of a woman's ovarian reserve. AMH levels are generally stable and not greatly affected by the menstrual cycle or pregnancy or oral contraception. For this reason, the AMH test can be drawn any time throughout the month.

Anti-Mullerian Hormone test yields accurate results when done in conjunction with the antral follicle count (AFC) test. The AFC test assesses the quantity and quality of eggs.

When Do You Need an AMH Test?

The AMH test is helpful when:

• You have been unable to conceive for over six months, and looking for some assurance on your chances of getting pregnant
• You are contemplating IVF or other fertility treatments since low AMH levels suggest a poor response to IVF
• You want to understand your current chances of getting pregnant.

Be sure to consult a doctor if you think you have fertility issues.