Finding the right tests…
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Finding the right tests…
Hormonal
Anti-Mullerian hormone comes from the granulosa cells lining your ovaries' smallest follicles, so its level roughly tracks how many eggs you have left, not how good they are. Unlike FSH or estradiol, AMH barely moves across your menstrual cycle, so it can be tested on any day. Doctors order it mainly for fertility planning — before IVF, when considering egg freezing, or when periods are irregular and PCOS is suspected, since AMH tends to run high in PCOS. Levels decline gradually with age and drop more sharply in the years before menopause. A low result points to a smaller remaining egg supply, but says nothing about egg quality or your actual chance of pregnancy.
This test measures anti-Mullerian hormone in a blood sample, drawn from a vein at any point in your menstrual cycle since AMH doesn't swing much with your hormonal cycle the way FSH or estradiol does. No fasting is needed. Results are typically reported in nanograms per millilitre or picomoles per litre depending on the lab's assay, and different assay platforms aren't always directly comparable to each other, so tracking your level over time works best when it's repeated at the same lab. Ask your doctor which unit your report will use before comparing it to any earlier result.
Anti-Mullerian hormone comes from the granulosa cells that line your ovaries' smallest, earliest-stage follicles — the ones too small to see on an ultrasound. Because the size of that pool roughly tracks how many eggs remain, AMH has become the blood test doctors reach for first when estimating ovarian reserve.
Hormones like FSH and estradiol swing considerably across your cycle, so they have to be drawn on a specific day to mean anything. AMH is comparatively stable, which is genuinely useful in practice — a fertility clinic can order it whenever you come in, rather than asking you to return on a particular day of your next cycle.
AMH is widely used before IVF to predict how many eggs a stimulation cycle might retrieve, and it's part of the picture in PCOS, where levels often run high. What it doesn't do is predict whether those eggs are genetically normal, or your actual odds of a successful pregnancy — reserve and quality are separate things. Different labs also use different assay platforms that aren't always perfectly comparable, so tracking your level over time works best at the same lab each time.
- Reflects egg quantity, not egg quality - Doesn't require specific-day cycle timing - Best tracked at the same lab over time
A low AMH suggests a smaller remaining pool of eggs for your age, which matters for fertility planning and IVF response prediction. It doesn't mean you can't get pregnant naturally, and it doesn't measure egg quality — only quantity, according to NIH's Endotext resource on ovarian reserve testing.
AMH does decline in a fairly predictable pattern in the years before menopause, but NIH-reviewed research describes using it to predict the exact age of menopause as still unsettled. It's a useful trend marker, not a precise calendar.
No. Unlike FSH or estradiol, AMH stays relatively stable through the menstrual cycle, so it can be tested on any day, though NIH-reviewed studies have found small fluctuations within a cycle in some women.
This page is general information about the test, not medical advice. Your own report's reference ranges apply — please discuss your results with your doctor.
AMH tends to run higher in PCOS, but current guidance leans on ultrasound-based antral follicle counts rather than an AMH cutoff for diagnosis. Your doctor will combine it with your symptoms, cycle history, and other hormone tests.
A high AMH mainly matters in the context of fertility treatment, where it can flag a higher risk of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome during IVF stimulation. Outside of fertility treatment, it isn't treated as a standalone red flag.
AMH is generally considered less affected by hormonal contraceptives than other reproductive hormones, but ask your doctor whether your specific situation calls for stopping any medication before the test.
Normal AMH declines steadily with age, and labs report it against an age-adjusted reference range rather than one fixed number. Ranges vary by lab and by the specific assay used, so ask your doctor to read your result against the range on your own report.