There is a lot of talk about AMH within the fertility community these days, but what is it???
AMH, also known as Anti-Mullerian Hormone is a protein that is released from the ovarian cells. It can be tested via bloodwork during any time of your cycle and is currently not covered by OHIP. Fertility clinics find it useful because it can help diagnose PCOS, pre-mature ovarian failure, and can also help predict how a woman will respond to the medication in an IVF cycle (i.e. will she produce enough eggs to retrieve).
AMH will get lower and lower until a women enters into menopause. The only thing known to give false AMH levels is being tested while on the birth control pill.
AMH can fluctuate slightly, but usually not a significant amount. We have found that AMH reflects ovarian reserve, or the number of eggs that a woman has left. Although I don't know of solid research on this - I also wonder what a woman's egg quality is like if their reserve is low.
I think that AMH is quite a useful tool in helping women or couples decide on a timeline when thinking about when or how aggressively they should being trying to conceive. That being said, decisions shouldn't be made on any one test alone - it is very important to take into consideration a comprehensive analysis when making fertility decisions.
