SRM's Fertility Assessment Program
Fertility Assessment Helps Women Plan Ahead
Designed to be a convenient, thorough, and evidence-based evaluation of reproductive aging to inform women and guide important life decisions. To schedule an assessment call 206-301-5000 or request online.
Aging of the reproductive system is one of the primary determinants of whether or not a woman will be able to conceive. Women are born with all the eggs they will ever have, and over time, most of the eggs die without ever being ovulated. This process begins before birth and is not affected by pregnancy, hormone therapy or general health.
After reaching peak fertility in their early to mid-20's women experience a gradual loss in fertility over time that becomes more pronounced in the mid-late 30's. Although most women will ovulate regularly until their mid- to late-40s, loss of fertility occurs much earlier.
{Percentage of recently married couples who delivered a living child by age of marriage, 10 populations, 1600-1930. Data is from populations that did not use birth control and shows a natural rate of age-related decline Source: Menken, Trussell and Larson, Science: 233: 1389-94, 1986.}
There are two main features of reproductive aging in women-decline in the number of eggs (ovarian reserve) and decline in egg quality. The most important of these is egg quality, with older eggs being more likely to result in genetically abnormal embryos that are unlikely to result in live birth.
Women in their 30's may benefit from a basic fertility assessment in order to have an understanding of their reproductive potential. Ovarian reserve tests are available to determine if a woman has normal, borderline, or low ovarian reserve. At SRM, we have established a basic fertility assessment to provide women with information about their reproductive capacity.
If a woman has borderline or low ovarian reserve, earlier fertility treatment is more likely to be successful than delayed treatment, as ovarian reserve will continue to decline with time.
SRM's basic fertility assessment includes the following:
- A brief questionnaire
- Blood tests including:
- Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH)
- Estradiol
- Antimullerian hormone (AMH)
- Pelvic ultrasound
- Consultation with a physician to discuss the results
