Ovarian reserve testing may be useful in predicting the fertility potential in women. Typically, a woman has approximately one to two million eggs in her ovaries at birth. That number begins to decrease monthly and, bythe time she reaches menopause, the egg supply has virtually disappeared.
Reproductive endocrinologists sometimes use ovarian reserve testing to evaluate the oocytes – immature eggs – present in the ovaries. In addition to the number of remaining oocytes, your fertility specialist will also evaluate oocyte quality and your reproductive potential.
Ovarian reserve testing is conducted on infertile women to identify those at risk of diminished ovarian reserve, or DOR. Diminished ovarian reserve can inhibit a woman’s ability to become pregnant, although the condition doesn’t always mean a woman cannot conceive. Ovarian reserve testing also evaluates the ovarian response to gonadotropin stimulation.
The following blood tests, medications and imaging tests are used to measure hormone levelsin ovarian reserve testing:
Since no single test can definitively determine a woman’s ability to become pregnant, most reproductive endocrinologists recommend a combination of ovarian reserve tests.
Abnormal ovarian reserve tests can reveal information about a woman’s declining fertility potential, but they cannot determine whether or not she will become pregnant. Ovarian reserve testing is most often used for help in designing an appropriate treatment plan.
