Ovarian Reserve Test

Who should take this test?

This test may be helpful for any woman who is interested in knowing how much ovarian reserve, essentially abundance of eggs, she has -- this information is not meant to be an indication in to how likely or unlikely a woman will be able to successfully achieve pregnancy.

FSH is released by the pituitary gland in the brain and signals the ovaries to prepare for follicle maturation and egg release. FSH levels cycle monthly, with the baseline level of FSH being determined early in the cycle, hence collection on Day 3. As women age, baseline FSH levels actually increase, as the stimulation required for egg maturation increases as egg number and viability decrease. Lower levels of FSH on Day 3 indicate better egg reserve.

We do not recommend collecting the sample if you currently take hormones of any kind, including oral contraceptives. We do not recommend altering your hormone therapy without consulting your physician first. If discontinuing hormone therapy, we advise waiting for 6 weeks until collecting the sample.

How It Works

What will my results tell me?

While this test alone does not diagnose fertile or infertile states of health, your ovarian reserve level indicates if your eggs should be adequate to achieve a spontaneous ovulation, provided there are no other causes for preventing ovulation, such as a hormone imbalance.

What guidance will I get along with my results?

The results show how well your ability to achieve a spontaneous ovulation may be based solely on an indirect measure of eggs remaining. However, this test does not provide information for all possible reasons for the inability to become pregnant due to ovulation disorders.

Any woman who has an abnormal Day#3 FSH level or any woman over the age of 40 should consider obtaining two separate Day#3 FSH levels one cycle apart for a more accurate evaluation.