In this blog, we cover everything egg donors need to know about AMH levels and the AMH blood test which is typically required for new donors.

What is AMH?

AMH stands for anti-Müllerian hormone. It is a hormone produced by cells from small antral follicles in your ovaries. Antral follicles contain an oocyte, an immature egg cell. Essentially, these antral follicles are “on deck” and preparing to be available in the next month or two when your body tries to make some eggs. You can think of antral follicles as potential eggs.

Since the antral follicles produce AMH, testing AMH levels is used to predict how many follicles (A.K.A. potential eggs) you have.

Key Points:

AMH testing is used to help measure your ovarian reserve (remaining egg supply).
Most doctors require the AMH level to be above 2.0 ng/mL for a woman to be eligible to be an egg donor.
The average AMH level for healthy women under 30 is around 2.91 ng/mL.
Birth control can cause lower AMH levels.
AMH levels decrease with age.

What’s the Correlation Between AMH Levels and Egg Quantity?

AMH is a hormone produced by granulosa cells.
Granulosa cells form a layer around the oocyte (immature egg cell) in the earliest stage of ovarian follicle development.
The number of granulosa cells is linked to the number of follicles that eventually grow into viable, fertilizable eggs.
So, higher levels of AMH signify more granulosa cells, which signifies a higher amount of eggs.

What is AMH Testing?

An AMH test is a simple blood test that measures the levels of anti-Müllerian hormone in your bloodstream. AMH testing is available for all women who are interested in fertility screening. It is useful in determining your ability to produce eggs and provides insights into your remaining egg supply, known as your ovarian reserve. Essentially, AMH testing assesses how many immature eggs are preparing to begin their journey toward maturation.

AMH testing is valuable for egg donors because it provides foresight knowledge about the number of eggs a donor has available before she begins her cycle. At Donor Nexus, the AMH blood test is generally the first test we have new egg donors do because many doctors require that it is done before the donor can move forward with her cycle.

The blood test is typically done at any Labcorp location and the results come back in about 5-7 days. Since AMH levels are fairly constant, AMH testing can be done at any time, you don’t need to be on your period when you go in.

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AMH level tests for egg donors.

What is the Average AMH Level for Women Under 30?

In the past, women typically didn’t get their AMH levels tested until they were experiencing fertility issues, which is problematic for determining “average” AMH levels across age groups. However, there was recently a study by the Center for Fertility Research and Education (an organization launched by Extend Fertility) that looked at the results of over 2,600 AMH tests among non-infertile women. According to this study, the average AMH level for women under 30 is 2.91 ng/mL.

What Do the Numbers Mean?

In general, AMH values greater than 1 ng/mL typically mean that a woman has a normal ovarian reserve. AMH values less than 1 ng/mL may be an indicator that a woman has a low or diminished ovarian reserve.

Most doctors require the AMH level to be above 2.0ng/mL for a woman to be eligible to be an egg donor.

AMH Levels Decrease with Age

As expected, studies have also concluded that AMH levels decrease as age increases. As we know, age is important for reproductive performance. A woman’s fertility and egg supply decline as she ages, which means that AMH levels typically decrease with age as well.

Birth Control Suppresses AMH

There are various things you can do that can influence your AMH levels. Birth control contraceptives have strong hormones in them that suppress the formation of antral follicles in the same way that pregnancy does, which in turn may lower your anti-Müllerian hormone levels. Studies have shown that the use of contraceptives causes a significant decrease in AMH levels. A study conducted by Oulu University Hospital of healthy women between ages 20-33 years old demonstrated comparable decreased AMH levels among all methods of contraceptives (oral [pill], transdermal [patch], and vaginal [ring]).

An AMH level under 2.0ng/mL could be a consequence of someone who has been taking birth control pills for many years. Fortunately, AMH levels will recover if the birth control is stopped. If your AMH levels are low, we may ask you to stop taking birth control pills for a few months and then go in for another test.

If your AMH is under 2.0ng/mL and you are not taking birth control, it may be a good idea to consult with your gynecologist about the result. In this situation, egg freezing could be a good option for you if you would like to start a family someday.

Why AMH Testing is Important

This test is important because if your AMH levels are low, you will find out before moving forward and going through an entire cycle and egg retrieval. It also provides you with valuable information regarding your fertility health.

Fertility doctors perform AMH tests on egg donors because they provide a good measure of the donor’s ovarian reserve. Of course, a good candidate must have a decent ovarian reserve to ensure enough eggs can be retrieved. Having more eggs available improves the chances of producing a few high-quality embryos to be transferred to the intended mother or surrogate, which in turn improves their chances of achieving a pregnancy.

If you have any additional questions, send a message in the contact form below and we will be happy to help.

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The information provided in this blog is intended to provide a generalized overview and is not to be considered medical advice. Please consult with your physician for actual medical advice specific to you.

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