Ovarian reserve tests: AMH, FSH and follicle count compared

“Ovarian reserve test” is a group name, not one test. It covers a blood test for AMH, blood tests for FSH and estradiol, and an ultrasound count of follicles. This page compares them, says when each is drawn, and spells out what they can show about egg supply and what they can’t show about getting pregnant.

AMH

A single blood test for AMH, a marker of ovarian reserve.

$89

See this test at HealthLabs

Price checked October 2026. Not available in ND, RI, NY, NJ, MD and HI. We earn a commission on sales.

What ovarian reserve means

ASRM defines ovarian reserve as the number of oocytes (eggs) remaining in the ovary. Its markers include hormone levels and features of the ovaries seen on ultrasound.

The number of eggs is a quantity. It is not the same thing as egg quality, and it is not the same thing as fertility. That difference is the main point of this page.

The tests

Test	How	When in the cycle
AMH	Blood	Any point in the cycle, per ASRM
FSH with estradiol	Blood	Early follicular phase, cycle days 2 to 4, per ASRM
Antral follicle count	Transvaginal ultrasound by a clinician	Follicular phase

Source for the table: ASRM, 2026.

AMH

AMH is made by small follicles, and its level reflects the egg supply. ASRM says it has been shown to be superior to FSH and estradiol as an ovarian age marker. See what AMH is, the AMH test and AMH levels by age.

FSH and estradiol

MedlinePlus says FSH triggers the growth of eggs in the ovaries. It also says FSH levels change through the month, so women who have periods may need to be tested at a specific time in the cycle. ASRM says basal FSH and estradiol should be measured together on days 2 to 4.

One thing to check when you order: the seller’s FSH and LH test does not include estrogen, according to its page. Estradiol is a separate test. Our cycle timing helper can help you find the right day, and the FSH test page covers FSH in more detail.

Antral follicle count

This is an ultrasound, so it cannot be ordered as a blood test. ASRM says transvaginal ultrasound can be used to assess the follicular-phase antral follicle count and ovarian volume.

Tests not used

ASRM says inhibin B and the clomiphene challenge test do not add additional diagnostic accuracy.

What these tests can show

ASRM says these markers can be useful as predictors of oocyte yield following controlled ovarian stimulation and egg retrieval. ACOG says there are data to support using AMH to assess ovarian reserve in infertile women and to select ovarian stimulation protocols in that group.

MedlinePlus adds that AMH can help show how close someone may be to menopause, though it can’t predict when menopause will happen.

What they can’t show

• Whether you will conceive. ASRM says ovarian reserve markers are poor predictors of reproductive potential independently from age.
• Egg quality. MedlinePlus says AMH can’t tell you about the health of your eggs.
• Time to pregnancy, if you have no known fertility problem. ACOG says one AMH result in women presumed fertile does not appear to be useful in predicting time to pregnancy.

The research is not uniform. In a JAMA study of 750 women aged 30 to 44 who had no history of infertility and had been trying for 3 months or less, biomarkers indicating diminished ovarian reserve (AMH, FSH, inhibin B) were not associated with reduced fertility. ASRM notes one cohort of 3,150 women in which AMH under 1 ng/mL was associated with a lower chance of pregnancy, and a meta-analysis of 11 studies (4,388 women) in which AMH had poor predictive value for spontaneous pregnancy (area under the curve 0.59). An AUC of 0.5 is no better than chance.

Age tells you more. ACOG and ASRM say fecundity decreases gradually from about age 32 and more rapidly after 37.

Choosing a test

If you want one blood marker of egg supply and cycle timing is a worry, AMH is the one that fits, per ASRM. If your order names a cycle day, follow it. ASRM says basal FSH should be drawn on cycle days 2 to 4 and measured together with estradiol.

• AMHAny day of the cycle, per ASRM $89 See this test at HealthLabs
• FSH onlyFSH only. ASRM says days 2 to 4, with estradiol $49 See this test at HealthLabs
• EstradiolRead alongside FSH $99 See this test at HealthLabs

Sold by HealthLabs. Prices checked October 2026. Not available in ND, RI, NY, NJ, MD and HI. We earn a commission on sales.

Not sure? Use the test finder. If you have tried to conceive for 12 months (6 months if you are 35 or older), a clinician can order the full evaluation, which also covers ovulation, the tubes and uterus, and a semen analysis. See the fertility test guide for what that involves.