‘There’s a test to help predict fertility. But at age 34, my GP wouldn’t give it to me.’ – Mamamia

Posted: May 17, 2020 at 6:56 pm

The test wont tell you other factors that can affect the reproductive system like Endometriosis, Uterine Fibroids, cysts, infections or stress. But it can indicate Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS).

And while the AMH test indicates the number of eggs, it will not deliver the holy grail of fertility information, the QUALITY of eggs. No, the only way to test quality is to fertilize the eggs to see if embryos form. So basically, to make a baby.

If youre not ready for that, the AMH test is at least some information.

Male fertility is so blunt: all the main bits on the outside. A new load of sperm regenerates every 64 days. One explosion in a cup and a fertility specialist has most of the picture.

But a womans fertility is an elusive and complex force of nature. She is with us for a fleeting moment and the further we move into our thirties, the more cryptic she becomes.

My first peek under the veil of my own fertility took three GPs before I was given the AMH test. My result was 11.2. Its in the lower percentile range, but normal for my age. If the results came back abnormally low, theres no question I wouldve reprioritised a baby sooner rather than later.

And if the test does identify a low egg count, its best to know at 28 rather than 35 right?

The cheap, non-invasive AMH test is not subsidised by Medicare, but IVF is. Why fund a last resort fertility procedure but not a simple test that can identify a factor to consider way before IVF is on the table?

Women should be trusted by the medical community to understand the results and not presumed to misuse or misinterpret the information. And this argument should not be used to hold the test back from women like myself just looking for a little more information.

Listen to Before the Bump, Mamamias fertility podcast. Post continues below.

For me, having a normal AMH result didnt make me prioritise a baby but it didnt make me feel less panicked either. Instead, I formed the following logic: if I had a normal egg pool for my age, it was statistically likely Id also take a normal amount of time to fall pregnant.

If I stopped using contraception methods, I anticipated three to six months at least. It could even take a year, I thought.

I wasnt actively trying and I rarely had sex because my fianc worked away. In a calendar year, there were only five months his presence would line-up with my cycle.

And yet, I fell pregnant at the first possible chance after a single night with him. Pregnant with twins.

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'There's a test to help predict fertility. But at age 34, my GP wouldn't give it to me.' - Mamamia

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