Fertility is influenced by a variety of factors that can work together to support your journey to conception. Age, lifestyle habits, overall health and hormone levels all play crucial roles in reproductive health. So, where should you start when trying to understand your fertility potential? One important piece of the puzzle is anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH). But what exactly is AMH, and how can it affect fertility?
Anti-Müllerian hormone is a hormone produced by reproductive tissues in both men and women. In the female reproductive system, AMH affects certain aspects of fetal development, helping to shape the baby's sex organs while in the womb.
However, this hormone’s significance extends well beyond prenatal development. In adult women, AMH is primarily secreted by cells within the ovarian follicles. These follicles house and nurture developing eggs. The amount of AMH they produce serves as a reliable indicator of ovarian reserve—essentially, the egg supply in a woman's ovaries. AMH levels do not provide information about egg quality.
An AMH blood test measures the level of AMH circulating in your body. It provides information about ovarian reserve and insights into your reproductive status and fertility potential. Generally, a high level of AMH suggests greater ovarian reserve (egg supply). As ovarian reserve decreases with age, AMH levels decrease as well.
If you’re pursuing in vitro fertilization (IVF), your healthcare provider may also use AMH testing to help gauge your body’s response to the injectable medicine used during this treatment.
While AMH testing can provide helpful information about fertility, it does not definitively diagnose infertility or determine its cause. When used in conjunction with other clinical exams, hormone testing and medical history, an AMH test can help guide discussions with your healthcare provider when planning pregnancy. Your provider may also test your body’s levels of other hormones related to ovarian function, such as follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), which helps stimulate the growth of eggs, and estradiol (E2), a type of estrogen.
If you want to learn more about your fertility and the hormones that may play a role, Labcorp OnDemand offers an AMH Test, as well as a Women’s Fertility Ovarian Reserve Test that includes AMH, FSH and E2.
AMH testing can be a valuable tool in assessing fertility potential and ovarian reserve. One of the advantages of AMH testing is its flexibility; unless otherwise directed by your provider, the test can be performed at any point during the menstrual cycle as AMH levels remain relatively stable throughout.
In addition to providing insights about a woman’s ability to conceive, AMH testing can also help shed light on other aspects of reproductive health. For example, AMH levels tend to decline in women as they approach menopause. However, AMH levels do not predict when menopause will occur, as menopause happens at different times for everyone. High AMH levels may be associated with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). However, not all women with elevated AMH levels have PCOS, and AMH levels alone cannot diagnose PCOS. Clinical findings, symptoms, and additional lab tests or imaging are necessary to make a PCOS diagnosis, so it is important to discuss these factors with your healthcare provider.
AMH testing provides valuable information, but it’s important to remember that further evaluation is often needed to diagnose and address any underlying health concerns, such as menstrual irregularities, infertility or other reproductive health issues.
The decision to pursue AMH testing is best made in partnership with your healthcare provider. Together, you can determine if AMH testing is appropriate for your situation, and they can help guide you in interpreting the results.
Looking to gain insight into your fertility journey? Learn about fertility with an AMH test.
Evaluate hormonal health by measuring follicle-stimulating hormone level with an FSH blood test.
Empower yourself with answers about your estrogen level.
Looking to assess fertility potential? Learn about fertility with an AMH test.
