Low Cost Fertility Screening

Over the last several decades there has been a continuing trend for women to delay their childbearing. Many women now plan to delay starting a family until their mid to late 30’s which was very unusual several decades ago.

As a result of this delay, some women will have difficulty conceiving when they are finally ready to start a family due to either a low egg supply or low egg quality situation.

Ovarian reserve testing gives women insight about their egg supply for the future. Ovarian reserve tests for the quantity of eggs remaining. Egg quality is a separate issue which is greatly affected by female age.

• Fertility screening in the general population

More will be learned regarding anti-mullerian hormone levels and outcomes as we continue to use the AMH fertility test and study the relationship between AMH hormone values and fertility, ovarian responsiveness, chances for IVF success, etc.

Ovarian reserve testing methods

Anti mullerian hormone is one potential test of ovarian reserve. There are other tests that are currently used for evaluation of the remaining egg supply which include:

• Antral Follicle Count (AFC): An ultrasound exam that counts visible follicles in the ovaries.
• Day 3 FSH and Estradiol Levels: Blood tests done early in the menstrual cycle to evaluate hormone levels.
• Clomid Challenge Test: A more involved hormone test using Clomid to assess ovarian function.

None of the tests are perfect, and fertility specialists will often use a combination of tests to try to get a better estimate of the size of the remaining egg supply.

Note: Anti mullerian hormone has also been referred to (mostly in the past) as “mullerian inhibiting substance”, or MIS.

Treatment options for women with reduced ovarian reserve:

• Lupron “flare” protocol for ovarian stimulation in low responders
• In vitro fertilization with assisted hatching
• In vitro fertilization with donor eggs