New test measures fertility for relatively cheap price
Posted March 9, 2012 10:13 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – Are you running out of time to have a baby? A new fertility test can tell you about how much time is left on your biological clock.
It’s not the only test of fertility but it’s new, accurate, and relatively cheap.
“It measures the amount of a particular hormone that’s produced in a woman’s ovaries. The hormone is called anti-malarian hormone,” explains Cathy Gulli, whose article comes out in the upcoming issue of Maclean’s Magazine.
“When they determine what your level of this hormone is, it corresponds to the number of eggs a woman has. More eggs equals more chances of having a baby,” says Gulli.
“That’s why this test is so important. It’s really the first time that we’ve been able to so accurately measure a woman’s ovarian reserve,” she adds.
While you won’t get a specific timeline, Gulli claims you will get an idea of if it is time to get on it. “There’s been a lot of talk over the last year or so about how misinformed a lot of women are about just how much harder it is to get pregnant, the older you get. The fact of the matter is that fertility drops off after age 30.”
It is currently being used at private clinics for women in their 30s and 40s who are having problems getting pregnant, but Gulli believes it could be an informative tool for those who aren’t trying for a baby yet.
“As more and more women are putting off childbearing because of career demands or education or relationship dissatisfaction, this information is more and more important for women to see where they fall in the fertility scale,” she maintains.
Gulli warns people wanting the $225 test need to be ready to hear not-so-good news; to get it, you will need to be referred to a fertility doctor. Some family doctors aren’t even aware the test exists, but Gulli thinks in the next few years it will become more widespread.
