AMH test: insight into your ovarian reserve

The hormone AMH is made by the small, growing follicles in your ovaries. The more of those follicles you have, the higher your AMH.

Its full name is anti-Müllerian hormone. You may also see it written as AMH on your result.

An AMH test is therefore an ordinary blood draw. The lab measures one value. That value is placed next to a reference range that fits your age.

An AMH test is often used to gain insight into your ovarian reserve. That is the number of egg cells you still have in store.

Around a wish to conceive, that is valuable information. AMH is also often measured around IVF. Your value then helps doctors fine-tune the dosage.

Think of freezing eggs as well. Or simply of wanting to know where you stand.

This test suits women thinking about their fertility, now or later. Think of a wish to conceive, or of exploring your options.

It also fits if you are simply curious about your egg supply. You do not need symptoms to have it done. AMH testing also works without a concrete wish to conceive.

This test measures one hormone in your blood:

• AMH (Anti-Müllerian Hormone): produced by the small growing follicles in your ovaries. It counts as an indication of your ovarian reserve.

AMH stays stable throughout your cycle. So you do not need to account for a specific cycle day.

Here AMH differs from most fertility tests. FSH and LH are unusable while you take hormonal contraception. AMH can still be drawn.

There is an honest caveat to that. Combined contraception measurably lowers your AMH. The reference group behind the published values used no contraception at all.

Are you on the pill? Then a low AMH value may partly come from the pill. Discuss your result with a doctor before drawing conclusions from it.

AMH is also used when investigating conditions such as PCOS. In women with PCOS the values are on average clearly higher.

That is because the ovaries in PCOS hold many small follicles. Each of those follicles produces AMH.

On an ultrasound this picture is called a polycystic ovary. In adults a doctor may also use AMH for this, instead of the ultrasound. That is set out in the 2023 international PCOS guideline.

A high AMH value is not a diagnosis in itself. A doctor establishes PCOS, based on several findings together.

Your result shows your AMH value, with a reference range and a short explanation. What counts as usual depends strongly on your age.

Laboratories do not all report AMH in the same unit. Some use ng/ml, others pmol/l. One ng/ml equals roughly 7.14 pmol/l.

A higher value usually fits a larger reserve. A lower value can fit a reduced ovarian reserve.

What the test gives is an impression of the quantity of egg cells. It says nothing about their quality. It cannot predict a natural pregnancy either.

Would you like to see the values per age group side by side? They are on our page about AMH as a blood value.

AMH declines gradually and becomes undetectable around menopause. That is why the value also comes up in questions about an early menopause.

Is your AMH clearly below what fits your age? That can suggest your egg supply is declining faster than average.

Note that this is a signal, not a prediction. An AMH test names no date and does not establish an early menopause. A doctor makes that assessment, alongside your symptoms and your cycle.

AMH has two established uses. It estimates your ovarian reserve. And it predicts how your ovaries respond to stimulation, for instance during IVF.

Beyond that the test does less than people often assume. An AMH test does not say when you will get pregnant. Nor does it name an age at which your fertility stops.

So a reassuring value is not a guarantee. And a low value does not rule a pregnancy out. AMH counts follicles, nothing more.

Read your result as one piece of the puzzle. Your age and your wider situation always belong with it.

The price of this AMH test is shown at the top of this page. You pay online when you order.

No consultation is added. Because you need no referral, you do not visit a GP first.

Would you like several hormones measured at once? Then look at our broader hormone test for women. It measures more values in the same draw.

An AMH test can be valuable at different moments:

• when planning a wish to conceive and wanting to know how much time you may have
• around an IVF pathway, where your value helps in setting the dosage
• when you are considering freezing your eggs
• when questions come up about PCOS
• when you want a baseline to compare against later

Because AMH gradually declines with age, your value always sits next to your age.

This test needs a small blood draw at an accredited sample point. In the Netherlands you can choose from 650+ locations.

After ordering you pick a point near you. The draw itself usually takes only a few minutes.

Your blood is then measured in the certified laboratory that runs your collection point. We work with independent laboratories across the Netherlands. You do not need a referral from your GP.

Your results are usually in your Lunarahealth account within 2 working days of the blood draw, often the next day. Some markers take longer. Each value comes with a reference range and an explanation.

Every result is reviewed by a BIG-registered doctor. Discuss your result with your GP before making treatment decisions.