What is ovarian reserve testing?
Ovarian reserve testing is the evaluation of the potential of having babies that the health care professional makes. Meaning that the outcomes are read with the standard value that the result can be as good as individuals with the same age. A blood test and vaginal ultrasound make it possible for them to predict your egg supply. You are born with all the eggs you will ever have in your life, and you do not make more during your lifetime. This is called your ovarian reserve. Your ovarian reserve naturally declines as you age. The results of ovarian testing help predict how well you’d respond to fertility treatment like IVF (in vitro fertilization).
You should note that ovarian reserve tests cannot give you the degree of your fertility or know whether you will get pregnant on your own. What the healthcare provider does is use the results in his or her follow up as your next treatment.
When to get ovarian reserve testing?
Your doctor might recommend you undergo ovarian reserve testing in the following scenarios:
You have a medical condition that may have destroyed some of your eggs, such as cancer.
You are planning to begin with IVF or other fertility treatment
How do you know if you have Low Ovarian Reserve?
The only way to determine if your ovarian reserve is low is through a fertility evaluation by your healthcare provider.
How does ovarian reserve testing work?
Ovarian reserve testing can predict the possibility of successful fertility treatment. It cannot state the quality of eggs (or how healthy your eggs are) or even provide an estimate of the number of eggs you have.
Ovarian reserve testing measures FSH and AMH through blood test, while transvaginal ultrasound measures antral follicle count.
Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH)
FSH is a hormone that regulates the development of eggs within your ovaries. Your pituitary gland, located in your brain, releases FSH to cause the growth of a follicle within your ovary. A follicle is a small, fluid-filled sac containing your eggs. These follicles produce estrogen, which communicates with your pituitary gland, indicating that your pituitary gland should make FSH. Your provider will check FSH levels during approximately the third day of your menstrual cycle.
Anti-mullerian hormone (AMH)
AMH is a hormone produced by the follicles in your ovaries. Your follicles contain your eggs, which means the higher the AMH level, the more eggs you’re estimated to have. AMH levels decrease with age because your egg count also decreases with age. Unlike FSH, AMH can be measured at any point in your cycle. Less than 1 nanogram per milliliter (ng/mL) may indicate your supply is waning, but it does not predict your ability to conceive.
Antral follicle count (AFC)
AFC is that part of the ovarian reserve testing done through a transvaginal ultrasound. It allows your provider to count the number of follicles that are present in your ovaries. Follicles are basically where the development of eggs happens. The count of your follicles will mostly be taken on the first four days of your menstrual cycle by your provider.
It’s significant to note that your health provider will use this test result together with other available data to know the state of your fertility.
What can influence ovarian reserve?
Ovarian reserve varies in several different ways. These include your age as the chief influencer and more.
You’re born with all the eggs you’ll ever have. Some people are born with more eggs than others. By the time you start menstruating as a teenager, you have lost millions of eggs. Within a normal cycle of menstruation, a few eggs will start growing in hopes of becoming the dominant, mature egg that gets released during ovulation. So, while your body releases one egg each month, it loses thousands of eggs per year.
The other factor for which healthcare providers assess is egg quality. Egg quality denotes the healthiness of your egg.
Other factors that may make your egg count reduce are:
- History of ovarian surgery or a problem with one or both ovaries
- Chemotherapy or radiation therapy
- History of severe pelvic infections.
- Family history of early menopause.
Are there any risks of ovarian reserve testing?
No, there are no risks to ovarian reserve testing. It’s a safe test that is taken with a blood draw from a vein in your arm and a transvaginal ultrasound.
What are the limitations of ovarian reserve testing?
Ovarian reserve testing provides insight into how you’d respond to fertility treatment, but it doesn’t tell the entire story. While ovarian reserve testing can be an indicator of egg count, it doesn’t tell your provider how healthy those eggs are. For example, a person could have normal ovarian reserves, but lower-quality eggs that don’t fertilize during IVF cycles. Once a person reaches 35, studies show egg quality also starts to decline.
There are other factors that affect fertility, which are independent of egg count or quality. Healthcare providers conduct ovarian reserve testing as part of fertility testing to help them get a sense of your overall fertility.
How long will it take to get the results?
Your healthcare provider will usually have your test results back within a week of when the test was done. They will work with you on a treatment plan based on results from ovarian reserve testing and any other fertility tests you’ve had.
What do the results of ovarian reserve testing mean?
Your ovarian reserve test results help in predicting your potential fertility and response to fertility treatment. It will not tell you when you’ll conceive or the exact number of eggs you may have left but can give an idea of whether your egg supply is lower compared to other individuals of your age.
No single fertility test can predict your ability to get pregnant or respond to fertility treatment. Results of all your fertility tests, including ovarian reserve testing, are analyzed together. Your healthcare provider uses all of your test results to make a treatment plan that’s right for you.
How accurate are ovarian reserve tests?
Fertility testing is diagnostic and cannot predict exactly how many eggs you have, how long you must conceive with your eggs, or how long you have before you enter menopause. However, it is the most accurate tool healthcare providers have now.
Ovarian reserve testing is important in IVF treatment because your egg count and response to hormone medication are related to the success of ovarian stimulation.
What is a good number for ovarian reserve?
Normal ovarian reserve levels vary between labs and healthcare providers, so you shouldn’t interpret or compare results without your provider’s help. It’s hard to assign a good score for an ovarian reserve test because each test measures something different. Instead, your provider will look at the result of each blood test and your ultrasound to determine if your ovarian reserve levels are within a normal range.
Why Tender Palm IVF & Fertility Center for Ovarian Reserve Testing in Lucknow, India?
Tender Palm IVF & Fertility Center provides accurate and advanced Ovarian Reserve Testing in Lucknow, India, to assess a woman’s egg quantity and reproductive potential. Our expert fertility specialists use reliable tests like AMH levels, antral follicle count (AFC), and FSH to personalize your treatment plan. We ensure a supportive and empathetic environment to guide your fertility journey with clarity and confidence.