Whether you’re already on your fertility journey, just getting started, or are simply curious to know what’s going on inside your body, you might have come across something called AMH. AMH stands for anti-Müllerian hormone and is a hormone that’s used to estimate your ovarian reserve, also known as your egg count. 

In determining your overall fertility picture, your egg count is one of the key factors to consider – which is where AMH testing comes in.

Let's dive into the relationship between AMH and egg count and the benefits of proactively testing your AMH levels.

What is AMH?

AMH is a hormone produced by the follicles in the ovaries. 

So, what exactly is an AMH test?

The AMH testing is used by fertility clinics worldwide to check the egg count. Determining the exact number of eggs inside the ovaries isn’t possible because they’re too small to count. However, each egg is contained in a tiny fluid-filled cyst called a follicle, and these follicles secrete a hormone called AMH. So, by measuring the levels of AMH in the blood, you can estimate the number of follicles in the ovaries, which in turn gives a good indication of how many eggs the ovaries contain.

What your AMH can’t tell you.

Your egg count can’t predict if you can become pregnant. Nothing can and the only way to truly know is by trying. Whether your egg count is low, high, or within the normal range, as long as at least one egg is being released every month your chance of conceiving naturally is the same (all other things being equal). It’s worth emphasising that ovulation plays a key role here because if an egg isn’t being released, you can’t become pregnant.

So, why test your egg count if it can’t predict your fertility?

If you’re wondering why your egg count matters if it can’t actually predict your fertility, here’s why understanding your AMH as part of your overall fertility picture is so important.

Everyone is born with all the eggs they will ever have and this reserve of eggs declines throughout life, reaching near zero around menopause. The important thing to know is that the rate of decline looks different for everyone - for some people it happens more slowly and for others much more quickly. Unfortunately, a rapid decline in your egg count can happen without any obvious symptoms and you may even run out of eggs much earlier than expected without knowing it - this is known as early depleted ovarian reserve. If you discover that your egg count is near zero and you have become menopausal, there is no science available that can help you conceive using your own eggs. 

By testing your egg count proactively, you will find out sooner if you are at risk of running out of eggs early. If you are at risk and find this out proactively, you can make decisions that put you in the best position possible to achieve your family planning goals.

AMH and reproductive treatments

Now that we know why it’s useful to proactively test your AMH levels, you might also be interested to know that AMH is also used by fertility specialists to predict how well you are likely to respond to assisted reproductive treatments (ART), like egg freezing and IVF. Having a higher AMH level indicates you’ll probably respond better to ART and you have the potential for more eggs to be collected in a single cycle of egg freezing or IVF. Similarly, a lower egg count will help a fertility specialist understand how to optimally dose medication through ART to collect as many eggs as possible1.

Navigating AMH testing

Before testing your AMH levels, there are a few things you should know:

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Disclaimer

This article is for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to be medical advice and is not a substitute for medical advice. You should speak with a medical professional if you wish to assess your fertility and before making any decisions about healthcare, including contraception.

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Resources:
1 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9107208/