What is AMH?

An Anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) blood test measures levels of AMH, a key biomarker for ovarian reserve (egg count). It can give insights into your fertility such as how many eggs remain or how your body may respond to IVF.

In this article we cover:

• What is AMH?
• Why do I need an AMH blood test?
• What is a normal AMH level?
• What causes a low AMH result?
• What causes a raised AMH result?
• How do I improve my AMH levels?
• How is AMH used in fertility treatments?
• What can't an AMH blood test tell you?

What is AMH?
 

AMH is a hormone produced by the follicles (tiny egg-containing sacs) growing in your ovaries [1]. When you ovulate, your ovary releases one of these eggs into the fallopian tube for fertilisation. 

What is the role of AMH in the body?

AMH has several roles in the body.

These include:

• Regulating the release of hormones such as follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinising hormone (LH)
• Controlling how your ovaries respond to signals from pituitary hormones
• Developing sex organs in foetal stage

It’s also thought AMH may play a role in polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) [2,3].

Why do I need an AMH blood test?
 

There are a few different reasons you may need an AMH blood test.

AMH blood test can give insights into:

• Ovarian reserve
• IVF potential
• Ovarian mass detection [2]
• PCOS
• Menopause

What is ovarian reserve?
 

Ovarian reserve is a term that is used to describe the reproductive potential left within a woman’s two ovaries, based on the number and quality of her eggs. 

You are born with all the eggs you’ll ever have – usually between one and two million eggs. These deplete with age, and by the time you reach puberty you will have around 400,000 eggs remaining [4].

This steady depletion continues to menopause, when you will have no viable eggs left.

How do you measure ovarian reserve?

This is where an AMH blood test comes in.

Because AMH is produced by follicles growing in your ovaries, AMH correlates strongly with the number of follicles (and therefore eggs) you have.

AMH blood test limitations

Although your AMH levels can indicate the number of eggs you have, it’s not a prediction of your fertility, when you’ll go through menopause, or a diagnosis of PCOS.

An AMH blood test can be a good starting point for further investigation and useful for discussions with your healthcare provider.

What is a normal AMH range?
 

A normal AMH level means you have a similar number of eggs to other women your age. AMH levels vary depending on your age, but a normal level for most women of reproductive age is between 1.0 and 4.0 ng/mL.

However, this doesn’t necessarily tell us that you have all the time in the world to start a family, or that you will definitely be able to. There are still other factors that can affect your fertility and AMH doesn’t tell us anything about the quality of eggs.  

What is a good AMH level for your age?

Age	Normal AMH levels (ng/mL)	Normal AMH levels (pmol/L)
25	3.0	21.4
30	2.5	17.9
35	1.5	10.7
40	1.0	7.1
45	0.5	3.6

 

It’s important to be aware that you can have normal AMH levels and still experience fertility problems.

Fertility can be affected by other factors including:

• Egg quality
• Ovulation
• Sperm quality

Some laboratories may quote different figures based on equipment, techniques, and chemicals. For this reason, it might be helpful to see a specialist to interpret your results.

What causes a low AMH result?
 

Your AMH levels naturally decline with age, but a lower-than-expected level for your age can indicate low ovarian reserve. Between 1.0-1.5 ng/mL is considered low, and below 0.5 ng/mL is considered very low, although this is age dependent.

The main causes of low AMH include:

• Age
• Genetics
• Ovarian surgery
• Smoking
• Some cancer treatments
• Autoimmune conditions
• Menopause

What should I do if I have low AMH levels?
 

First of all, don’t panic – low AMH levels for your age won't tell you much about your chances of getting pregnant – it only takes one healthy egg and one healthy sperm for conception to occur.

Have a look at our blog on age and fertility to understand the odds of pregnancy throughout your lifetime.  

If you have low AMH levels you may wish to:

• Consult a fertility specialist
• Consider IVF treatments
• Make lifestyle changes such as quitting smoking
• Additionally, if an AMH test suggests you might reach menopause earlier than average ,you might decide to bring your timeline for having children forward. And if you aren't in a long-term relationship or not ready to start a family, you may choose to freeze some of your eggs.  

What causes raised AMH levels?
 

While elevated AMH levels of over 4.0 ng/mL may suggest good ovarian reserve this is not always the case.

Biotin and AMH

If you are taking biotin or vitamin B7 supplements (such as those for hair, skin, and nails or some prenatal supplements) you may get a falsely elevated AMH result.

High AMH and PCOS

A high level of AMH may give reassurance that you have plenty of eggs, but in some cases, it could indicate a condition called polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) [5].  

This is a common condition where your ovaries produce high numbers of follicles every month. These follicles can take a long time to develop into a viable egg leading to irregular periods and making it more difficult to predict ovulation and conceive..  

Some typical symptoms of PCOS include:

• Irregular or absent periods
• Troubles conceiving (due to infrequent ovulation)
• Elevated androgen levels (such as testosterone)

As AMH correlates with follicle numbers, the likelihood of PCOS increases as AMH increases. While an AMH blood test alone can’t tell you if you have PCOS, it can indicate if it may be a possibility.

If your AMH level is higher than expected, it would be worth following up with a Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Blood Test to check whether polycystic ovaries could be the reason, especially if you have any symptoms of PCOS. 

You can read more about PCOS and fertility in our blog: how can PCOS affect fertility?.

How do I improve my AMH levels?
 

While knowing your AMH level may give you insights into your fertility, it is a marker rather than a controller, and your fertility depends on so much more than how high your levels are.

Instead, focussing on lifestyle modifications such as maintaining a healthy weight, eating a nutritious diet, and looking after your mental wellbeing, and discussing your options with a fertility specialist may be more beneficial.

In the case of high AMH levels due to PCOS, managing the associated insulin resistance either by managing your weight or starting medication is the best way to reduce your symptoms and lower your levels.

How is AMH used in fertility treatments?
 

If you are starting fertility treatment or have decided to freeze some of your eggs, an AMH Blood Test can help your fertility doctor estimate how many eggs might be retrieved in a cycle. Your fertility doctor may use drugs to stimulate your ovaries to produce more eggs than in a normal cycle. These are then harvested to be frozen or fertilised in vitro [6].  

Before starting IVF treatment or egg freezing, your doctor is likely to use your AMH level to help estimate the dose of drugs that are given to stimulate egg release. A low AMH level may require higher doses to achieve the same response.  

Having very low levels of AMH may mean your chances of successful IVF are lower, but still possible, even with undetectable levels, so this should not be a sole reason to exclude IVF.  

AMH tests for fertility treatment need careful interpretation by your fertility doctor, who will also consider other factors, such as your age. 

What can’t an AMH blood test tell you?
 

An AMH test isn't quite the crystal ball we'd like it to be. It can't predict whether you have healthy eggs, and it can't identify whether a physical problem might affect you or your partner.  

But, what it can do is help you understand your fertility timeline. An AMH test can tell you whether your levels are normal or not for your age. If an AMH test is higher than expected, you may want to investigate PCOS [7]. And if the test shows that your levels are lower than average for your age, then you might want to bring your timeline for having children forward - just knowing can help you to make informed choices.  

If you want to find out more information on infertility, what treatments can help you to conceive, and where to get support, see our fertility guide, or our blog on age and fertility. 

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References

1. Anti-Mullerian Hormone (AMH) Assessment. In: Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust [Internet]. [cited 30 Mar 2026]. 
2. Gowkielewicz M, Lipka A, Zdanowski W, Waśniewski T, Majewska M, Carlberg C. Anti-Müllerian hormone: biology and role in endocrinology and cancers. Front Endocrinol. 2024;15. doi:10.3389/fendo.2024.1468364
3. Laven J. Polycystic ovary syndrome: antimüllerian hormone and its role in the pathophysiology of the syndrome. Fertility and Sterility. 2025;124: 910–918. doi:10.1016/j.fertnstert.2025.08.023
4. Silber S. Unifying theory of adult resting follicle recruitment and fetal oocyte arrest. Reproductive BioMedicine Online. 2015;31: 472–475. doi:10.1016/j.rbmo.015.06.0222
5. Tal R, Seifer CM, Khanimov M, Seifer DB, Tal O. High serum Antimullerian hormone levels are associated with lower live birth rates in women with polycystic ovarian syndrome undergoing assisted reproductive technology. Reprod Biol Endocrinol. 2020;18: 20. doi:10.1186/s12958-020-00581-4
6. IVF. In: nhs.uk [Internet]. 20 Oct 2017 [cited 30 Mar 2026]. 
7. Vale-Fernandes E, Barreiro M, Leal C, Macedo RZ, Tomé A, Monteiro MP. Elevated Anti-Müllerian Hormone as a Prognostic Factor for Poor Outcomes of In Vitro Fertilization in Women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome. Biomedicines. 2023;11: 3150. doi:10.3390/biomedicines11123150