Ovarian reserve assessment

Monitoring ovarian aging. Tests to identify the quantity and quality of the follicles left in the ovary at any given time.

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Why do I need to have my ovarian reserve tested?

A healthy woman has a finite number of eggs, which irreversibly declines with age. An accurate assessment of your ovarian reserve is therefore vital as both egg quality and quantity impact on the chances of getting pregnant and IVF success rates.

Need to know

How is my ovarian reserve assessed?

The most accurate markers of ovarian reserve we recommend are:

Anti-Mullerian Hormone (AMH levels): This is a protein hormone produced by cells within the ovary. A blood test can be taken at any point in your cycle to check this.
Antral Follicle Count: This is a transvaginal scan to assess the number of follicles primed ready to grow, which can be done at any point in your cycle.

You will be able to go straight home after either test is carried out.

How to prepare

Tests are non-invasive and cause minimal discomfort. Your consultant will tell you how to prepare.

After your assessment

A diagnosis of low ovarian reserve is often an unexpected one and adds to what can already be a period of significant stress and anxiety. We believe that markers of low ovarian reserve should be used as a means of appropriate counselling rather than a tool for rationing or declining fertility treatment.

More about understanding fertility counselling

What if I am diagnosed with a low ovarian reserve?

A diagnosis of low ovarian reserve or diminished ovarian reserve is often an unexpected one and may add to what can already be a period of significant stress and anxiety.

Many women with low ovarian reserve are lead to believe that they are unsuitable for IVF treatment, and would have no chance of a successful outcome. They are therefore forced to consider other treatment options to provide them with a chance of motherhood, although not with their own genetic child.

Any chance, even a reduced one, of achieving a pregnancy with your own genetic child is precious and important. At the Lister Fertility Clinic, we believe our duty of care is to ensure that every woman in this position should have the right to choose whether to proceed with fertility treatment. As long as she has been given appropriate information regarding her chance of success, appropriate alternative choices and what to expect in a cycle of fertility treatment.

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