What does AMH actually tell me?
The short answer
AMH estimates how many eggs you have left, not their quality, and doesn't predict whether you can conceive naturally. It's most useful for planning an IVF protocol.
What to know
- It's a quantity marker. It says nothing about egg quality, which is driven mainly by age.
- A low AMH with regular cycles does not mean you can't conceive on your own.
- It can be drawn on any cycle day, unlike day 2–4 FSH.
- Hormonal contraception can lower the reading, so the timing of the test matters.
- It is used alongside antral follicle count, not instead of it.
What you can do now
- Use it to plan, not to predict. AMH says a lot about how you'd respond to IVF medication and little about your chances of conceiving naturally this month.
- Don't spend money trying to raise it. No supplement has been shown to raise AMH.
- Emerging evidence If it's low and you're heading to IVF, ask about CoQ10. What the trial found.
Read the full explanation
Less than it's often made to sound, in both directions.
What it measures
Anti-Müllerian hormone is produced by small follicles in the ovaries. The level roughly reflects how many eggs remain (ovarian reserve). It can be drawn on any day of the cycle.
What it's useful for
Predicting how the ovaries will respond to stimulation in IVF, which helps a doctor choose medication doses and set expectations for egg numbers. It's also part of the standard evaluation.
What it doesn't tell you
Egg quality, or your chance of conceiving naturally. ASRM's guidance is explicit that a low ovarian reserve result does not by itself mean you can't conceive. Age remains the stronger predictor of egg quality. A low AMH is information for planning, not a verdict, and a high AMH (common in PCOS) doesn't guarantee anything either.
Questions to ask about your result
"What range am I in for my age?" "Does this change what you'd recommend?" "If we did IVF, what would you expect this to mean for egg numbers?"
What the research shows
Not rated, deliberately. This page explains how something works rather than claiming a treatment helps, so a rating would mean nothing. Everything traces to the sources below.
Questions for your doctor
Edit any of these before you add it — they're yours. Your list stays in this browser, and you can print a one-page sheet from it.
- What does my AMH mean for my treatment options, rather than for my chances?
- What range am I in for my age?
- If we did IVF, what would you expect this to mean for egg numbers?
- Would you repeat it, or is one measurement enough to plan from?