How to Determine Your Ovarian Reserve?

It is impossible to deny the fact that age plays a big role in a woman's reproductive life. As she ages, the number and quality of eggs she produces begins to gradually decline, eventually leading to menopause. However, as with many other questions, there is no clear answer. Different women have different levels of ovarian reserve, which can affect the likelihood of pregnancy and the success of fertility treatment.

How to determine your ovarian reserve? Currently, there are several methods that can help assess a woman's ovarian reserve. One such method is ultrasound.

A study published in the journal Human Reproduction found that ovarian volume may reflect the number of follicles remaining in the ovaries, and this may help determine ovarian reserve. Ovarian volume, which is the size of the ovaries in three dimensions, can be measured using transvaginal ultrasound with a vaginal probe. Smaller ovaries and a low number of follicles per ovary correlate with low ovarian reserve, while larger ovaries and a high number of follicles correlate with greater ovarian reserve.

However, it must be remembered that ultrasound results are not the only factor that affects ovarian reserve. Egg quality cannot be accurately assessed using ultrasound, and there are other factors that can affect a woman's fertility, including gynecological disorders such as endometriosis, a history of STDs, and an infertile partner.

In addition, age always remains an important factor in a woman’s reproductive life. According to the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, a healthy 30-year-old woman has an approximately 20% monthly chance of becoming pregnant, while a 40-year-old woman has approximately a 5% monthly chance of becoming pregnant. Because of this, if you want to have children in the future, it is important not only to evaluate your ovarian reserve, but also not to forget about the influence of age.

Ultimately, assessing ovarian reserve can help women understand how quickly their ovarian reserve is declining and make decisions about their reproductive lives. However, taking into account all factors, including age, gynecological disorders and other medical aspects, the decision on when to start planning a pregnancy should be made in conjunction with a gynecologist and/or fertility specialist. They can help evaluate all the risks and options associated with your reproductive system and recommend the most appropriate methods to achieve pregnancy in your particular case.