One of the indicators to assess female fertility is the study of the ovarian reserve, that is, to know the total number of oocytes that the woman has in her ovaries. The ovarian reserve decreases as the age of the woman increases, so that at an older age there is a lower ovarian reserve and a lower oocyte quality. From now on, all IVI clinics offer this analysis free of charge. The campaign is aimed at women between 25 and 38 years old and can be booked by calling the free phone number 900 847 300
Each woman is born with a certain number of oocytes, which she uses up throughout her life. This number decreases both in quantity and quality from the age of 35, so much so that it makes it more difficult to achieve a pregnancy naturally.
Hence the importance of knowing when the ovarian reserve is, that is, the level of fertility to be able to make decisions when it is still possible. It is explained by Dr. Antonio Requena, IVI Medical Director General: “The passage of time is key in fertility because women are born with the eggs that they will have throughout their lives” In each cycle, the biological mission of the ovary is to select the most suitable ovum to achieve a pregnancy; this function begins to decrease after the age of 35 and worsens around 37. For this reason, at IVI we want to help women know and become aware that the ovarian reserve is limited ”, adds the expert.
This information is even more necessary if we consider that in Spain we are increasingly delaying the age to have the first child. Currently, a large number of women leave their motherhood by the time they reach their emotional, economic, social and even physical peak, more or less, when they are around 40 years old. But biologically, they are at the moment with the brake of their ovarian reserve, which is no longer optimal in quantity or quality. “We found that there is a divergence between the biological clock and the personal, that is why IVI offers the vitrification of ovules, a true revolution in Assisted Reproduction that makes it possible to fulfill the dream of being a mother with all the guarantees that science allows us,” she concludes Dr. Requena.
For this reason, and with the aim of making women aware of the importance of planning motherhood, IVI launches a campaign so that all women who wish to do so can find out what their fertility level is. The test consists of a simple blood test that will result in an indicator that will allow to know when the woman is fertile, with this information, she will be able to make the decision she deems appropriate: look for a pregnancy soon, preserve, or nothing , if you deem it appropriate.
Requirements to request the review of the ovarian reserve (diagnosis of AMH):
– Be between 25 and 38 years old.
– Call IVI’s toll-free number, 900 847 300, to request an appointment for a blood test.
– You can consult your closest clinic in this section of the web
There are other tests that determine a woman’s ovarian reserve:
The baseline hormonal study It is a blood test that allows the following hormones to be measured:
• FSH (follicle stimulating hormone): acts on the follicles of the ovary helping to control the menstrual cycle of women and stimulating the production of eggs.
• LH (luteinizing hormone): controls the maturation of the follicles and their increase is the signal that tells the ovary to release an egg. It allows evaluating ovulation and if the woman has reached menopause.
• Estradiol: it is the most important of the estrogens. Its study allows to verify the functioning of the ovaries.
This hormonal study should be carried out between day 3-5 of the rule.
• And as we have been saying, the AMH (Antimullerian hormone): measures the ovarian reserve and the amount of oocytes that are available in a given month. In sterility tests, the concentration of antimullerian is studied, which has an important predictive value in treatments since it will estimate how the ovary will respond. The interesting thing about this hormone is that it is independent of the moment of the menstrual cycle, unlike the other hormones mentioned, whose values depend on the moment of the cycle in which the woman is. Furthermore, AMH has more predictive value than FSH / LH / E2.
