Women flock to fertility testing

Hundreds of women anxious to know if they can have babies are visiting fertility clinics for a new blood test that reveals how long they can expect to be fertile.

Some are taking the test, which measures levels of an ovarian hormone, as part of IVF treatment or because of fertility fears following an illness.

But others are it using to help map out career and travel plans or even to find out how long they have to find someone to father their child.

The simple test measures the level of Anti Mullerian Hormone (AMH) present in a woman's blood, indicating how many eggs she has left - a key factor in deciding when to have children or which fertility treatment to pursue.

Private fertility clinics around the country say interest in the $50 test has been high, especially from women in their 30s trying to plan their lives around their remaining fertile years. It has been available abroad for several years but in New Zealand only since late last year.

A woman's fertility decreases after 30, and dramatically after 35, but latest Statistic New Zealand figures show most women are having children between 30 and 34 - a dramatic change from 40 years ago when most mothers with new children were aged 20-24.

Mary Birdsall from Fertility Associates in Auckland says her clinic ordered 84 AMH tests last month, and a total of 186 since December.

"We are seeing a very steady stream of people who are keen to know."

Repromed in Christchurch reported ordering hundreds of the tests while Fertility Associates' Wellington branch said requests were also on the rise.

Testing for AMH is effective in predicting the effectiveness of IVF, and to manage expectations of how many eggs a woman may produce during the procedure. But women are also using the test to help them make major life choices.

Birdsall says single women in their mid to late 30s want to know how long they have left to find a partner, or if they should consider options such as freezing their eggs.

"[They're] all single and all saying 'what's my fertility like and what should I be doing?"'

Other reasons for taking the test have included a couple deciding whether to travel or have children, and medical students wondering if they should have babies before or after embarking on a prolonged period of study.

Aucklander Cara Ward took the test to find out if chemotherapy drugs taken to treat childhood leukemia had left her egg supply depleted. The 28-year-old graphic designer was relieved to find her levels were normal for her age and is excited about trying for a family after her wedding in August.

"It gives you a little bit of ease of mind to know you've got this amount in reserve . . . and to know where you stand."

Other women have taken the test to help estimate when menopause will start or if they still need to use contraception.

Birdsall says women taking the test need to be prepared for bad news.

And experts warn that while the test results are useful they don't paint the whole reproductive picture, as lifestyle and other factors also strongly influence a woman's chances of conception.

Otago University medical anthropologist Ruth Fitzgerald isn't surprised women are flocking to the test. She says women are under increasing social pressure to manage their lives, including pregnancy.

"You can see how attractive a blood test would be that measures your biological clock to see if it's ticking too fast."

- © Fairfax NZ News