New fertility test allows women to better plan for the future

Byby Elissa Harrington KGO logo
Monday, May 16, 2016
New fertility test allows women to better plan for the future
Many women know the feeling - you want a child but just not right now. Some are turning to a new fertility test to better plan for the future.

Many women know the feeling - you want a child but just not right now. Some are turning to a new fertility test to better plan for the future.

A few fertility clinics say this ovarian reserve testing is popular but other doctors say to take the results with a grain of salt.

Many women with babies on the brain, like 32-year-old Annie Gerhart, ask themselves questions like "Is my biological clock ticking?" and "Can I get pregnant?"

Gerhart is single but wants to know if she'll eventually be able to have kids when the time is right.

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"I have had friends who have had fertility issues. One of my friends ended up doing IVF, multiple rounds. Their difficulties made me start to think about what that might look like for me," Gerhart said.

She learned about a new test that can determine her fertility prospects right now.

The test consists of an ultrasound and blood work. It gives a woman information about her hormone levels and ovarian reserve.

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Fertility tests are also available for men to determine their sperm count and motility.

"If it's something that, you know, a woman in her early 30s is thinking about, then I personally don't know why you wouldn't do it," Gerhart said.

ABC News Chief Women's Health Correspondent Dr. Jennifer Ashton can think of a few reasons to skip it.

"Don't do a test unless you think you have an idea of what you will do with the results of that test. So could this be helpful information for a lot of women? Absolutely," she said.

But she said the tests are no guarantee of a person's fertility or infertility.

The American College of Obstetricians recommends the testing for women over 35 who are having trouble conceiving.

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