Egg-timer test use growing despite evidence it can't predict fertility
Women are making high-stakes decisions about their fertility based on a test that new research suggests is unreliable.
Despite evidence that the AMH test, also known as the egg-timer test, does not effectively predict fertility, its use is growing. Clementine Bastos, a 42-year-old woman from Sydney, was encouraged by her GP to take the test after struggling to conceive. The test came back low, causing her stress, but she later discovered she was pregnant.
A new study from Flinders University found that nearly one in five women who took the AMH test received a result classified as low, but a third of those later had a normal result after repeating the test. Despite the test's unreliability, the number of AMH tests has surged, increasing more than 13-fold between 2011 and 2021. Dr. Tessa Copp, a co-author of the study, says the rise in testing could be due to women delaying childbirth and increased awareness of fertility issues.
However, the test can cause anxiety and potentially lead to unnecessary treatments. Dr. Hammarberg, an expert in fertility, emphasizes the importance of age in fertility and recommends women seek accurate, evidence-based information to make informed decisions about their reproductive health.
Written by urgent.news from ABC News AU's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
