The AMH blood test is a fertility test that is administered when women are seeking consultation for conception problems. It measures the anti-mullerian hormone, which is a substance that is produced by certain cells in the ovarian follicles. AMH is typically create when follicles are able to advance beyond their primordial stages. It is at its highest levels when at the preantral and small antral stages of development. Once follicles reach about 8mm in size, no AMH is created.
The AMH blood test is therefore ordered to determine the level of small ovarian follicles which may exist. It is believed that the level of AMH that is detected by the blood test can be a reflection of the number of eggs that a woman has. Some medical providers may refer to this test as the ovarian reserve blood test instead.
Why Is the AMH Blood Test Ordered?
Because the amount of AMH in the blood is believed to be related to the number of viable eggs that a woman may have left in her lifetime, it is often ordered during the first stages of an IVF consultation. As women age and the viability of their ovaries becomes reduced, this blood test can help to evaluate the risk factors that a family may face as they attempt to conceive a child.
The reason for this is that the typical IVF treatment plan usually involves some form of ovarian stimulation. By creating more eggs per cycle, it becomes possible for a conception to occur. It is also used to help women understand their future fertility because of scarring, cancer treatments, or how a smoking habit has affected their ovarian production.
Some medical providers may also choose to order the AMH blood test if it is detected through ultrasound that ovarian volumes are low. When reserve levels are low in the test results, it makes IVF a more difficult process and this may cause a medical provider to look for alternative solutions to the fertility issue.
What Do My Test Results Mean?
The AMH blood test will either come back as being normal or being abnormal. You cannot have AMH levels that are too high. This simply indicates that there is a large amount of ovarian activity that is occurring and would make a fertility consultant believe that you were a good candidate for ovarian stimulation. Normal results indicate that there is the potential for ovarian stimulation to be successful and there are no additional risks associated should IVF proceed.
If a blood test result is abnormal, then it indicates that AMH blood levels are low. This indicates the potential of ovarian volume being low when stimulation occurs. A low volume raises the risks of a natural genetic pregnancy not being successful. This risk is compared to women who have normal AMH test results.
It must be noted that these test results are a reflection of risk and do not guarantee an outcome. It is just as possible for a woman with abnormal test results to conceive and give birth to a happy, healthy child as it is for a woman with normal test results to not be able to conceive.
What Is the AMH Blood Test Important?
The reason for the AMH blood test is that IVF treatments can be incredibly expensive. Some may not even be covered by health insurance or require a large deductible for coverage to begin. If there is a high risk of a pregnancy not being able to occur, knowing what the cost vs risk ratio happens to be can help couples make a more informed decision.
Some medical providers may not recommend pursuing a biological pregnancy if AMH results are low and instead suggest a donor egg. It is important for a medical provider to proceed with your wishes, however, so if there is a refusal to proceed and you wish to do so, then it is important to find a doctor who will work with you instead of working with the odds.
All available treatment options should be on the table for women who are trying to become pregnant. The AMH blood test results explained here aren’t a guarantee of anything happening, but instead help women better understand what risks they may face when attempting IVF or other fertility treatments. If you do receive an abnormal AMH blood test, then it may be prudent to seek out a second opinion before deciding on proceeding with the costs of treatment