What Is An AMH Test?
The Anti-Mullerian hormone test, the AMH test in short, is a blood test used mainly for investigating infertility in order to measure the egg reserve of a woman.
AMH is found in both men and women. AMH is a type of glycoprotein secreted by the developing cells of the primary egg sacs (follicles) in women.
This hormone starts to be released by the fetus in the intrauterine period and continues to be secreted until the end of the menopause. However, starting from the onset of menopause, its levels begin to decline to immeasurably low quantities.
One of the major features of AMH is its provision of robust data about reproductive health of women. Showing the ovarian reserve of a woman, AMH can help detect problems with egg shortage or early menopause. Until a few years ago, FSH test was performed for monitoring the ovarian reserve in assisted reproduction treatment. However; with new advances, AMH test has become an indicator of the egg reserve and quality to determine female fertility.
What Is the Purpose of Performing an AMH Test?
- A common purpose to perform an AMH test is to measure the ovarian reserve of a woman. Women are born with a certain number of eggs and the number of these eggs decrease with each menstrual cycle. The AMH test (ovarian reserve) is ordered in investigating infertility research and in assisted reproduction treatment to measure the ovarian reserve.
- An AMH test is also used to diagnose menopause.
- The AMH test can also be ordered when ovarian cancer is suspected or it can be ordered to diagnose harm after cancer treatment.
- In women with suspected PCOS (Polycystic Ovary Syndrome), the AMH test is ordered for diagnostic purposes and ovarian function is assessed.
How Is the AMH Test Performed?
AMH test is performed by using a blood sample that can be taken on any day of the menstrual cycle. It is not necessary that the woman should be menstruating at the time of the test. Giving a blood sample will be enough.
What Happens When AMH Levels Are Low?
In investigation of the reproductive health, low AMH levels indicate a low egg count in women. The values less than 1 alarms the woman to hurry because egg reserves are diminishing.
Women wishing to become mother but have low AMH levels should not lose time. Egg freezing is one of the recommended methods to sustain the chance of pregnancy at this stage.
The normal values of AMH test performed before the age of 38 were found in the range from 2.6 to 6.8 ng /ml. However; in people with polycystic ovaries, AMH levels are found to be more than 6.8 ng /ml.
What Is the difference between the AMH Test and the FSH Test?
- The AMH test determines the ovarian reserve much more clearly compared to the FSH test. While FSH levels fluctuate through time, AMH levels are maintained.
- The AMH test indicates the number of egg reserves in the woman.
- Unlike the FSH test, AMH test can be performed on any day of the menstrual cycle.
- Contraceptive pills do not act on AMH levels.
- AMH test results are not affected by fasting.
The Importance of the AMH Test
The AMH test provides information for the selection of medications and modes of treatment so that patient-specific optimum treatment plans can be developed.
We would like to invite all women; who wish to become mothers in the future, to Eurofertil Assisted Reproduction Center without wasting time so that their AMH levels can be tested and their eggs can be frozen if necessary.