What is AMH, and what can it actually tell you?
AMH (anti-Mullerian hormone) is a hormone made by the small follicles in your ovaries. Because each follicle holds an immature egg, the amount of AMH in your blood is used as a rough indicator of ovarian reserve: how many eggs remain. It says nothing about egg quality, and it cannot predict whether you will conceive naturally.
If you have read anything about fertility testing, you have met AMH. It is the marker people ask for by name, the one that gets quoted in headlines, and the one most often misunderstood. Here is what it is, what it can tell you, and, just as importantly, what it can't.
What AMH is
AMH stands for anti-Mullerian hormone. It is made by the small follicles in your ovaries, the fluid-filled sacs that each hold an immature egg. The more of these small follicles you have, the more AMH shows up in your blood. That is why AMH is used as an indicator of ovarian reserve: a rough gauge of how many eggs remain.
AMH is convenient to test because it stays fairly stable across your menstrual cycle. Unlike FSH or oestradiol, you do not need to time the blood draw to a particular cycle day.
What AMH can tell you
- Roughly where your egg supply sits for your age. AMH naturally declines over time. Your doctor compares your result to what is typical for your age group.
- How you might respond to fertility treatment. In IVF, AMH helps clinicians predict how many eggs might be collected in a cycle. This is its best-evidenced use.
- A clue to some conditions. Very high AMH can be seen in polycystic ovary syndrome; very low AMH can point towards diminished ovarian reserve or an earlier menopause transition. Neither is diagnosed from AMH alone.
What AMH cannot tell you
- It cannot tell you exactly how many eggs you have, only give an indication.
- It cannot tell you when you will reach menopause with any precision.
- It cannot, on its own, tell you that you are or are not fertile.
How AMH changes with age
AMH is highest in your mid-twenties and falls steadily from there, with the decline picking up speed through the late thirties. Australian laboratories report AMH in picomoles per litre (pmol/L); overseas sites often quote nanograms per millilitre (ng/mL), and 1 ng/mL is roughly 7 pmol/L, which is one reason the numbers you read online rarely match your report. The table below is a rough guide only. For the detail, including what "low for your age" actually means, read AMH levels by age.
| Age band | What is typical | What it usually means |
|---|---|---|
| Under 30 | Highest readings of adult life, often well into the teens or twenties in pmol/L | Plenty of small follicles responding. A low result at this age is worth a doctor's attention. |
| 30 to 35 | Gradual decline begins | Still usually comfortably in the "normal for age" band. A useful time for a baseline if you are planning ahead. |
| 35 to 40 | Decline speeds up | Wider spread between women. Results are read against age, not against a single "normal". |
| Over 40 | Often low, and frequently below about 7 pmol/L (about 1 ng/mL) | Expected for age. Low AMH here does not mean pregnancy is impossible; it reflects quantity, not quality. |
Ranges vary by laboratory; your report shows the range your lab uses. Typical ranges on this page are drawn from Pathology Tests Explained (RCPA) and the sources listed below.
Things that change your AMH reading
- Hormonal contraception. Combined hormonal contraception, the pill and the vaginal ring, can lower AMH readings by roughly 20 to 30 per cent. Progestogen-only methods have a smaller and less predictable effect, and a hormonal IUD appears to have little or no effect. The result is still useful, but it has to be read with that in mind. Our guide to contraception and hormone tests goes marker by marker.
- Recent pregnancy or breastfeeding. Both can temporarily lower AMH.
- Vitamin D deficiency, smoking and some medical treatments can also affect the reading.
- Different lab assays. AMH is measured with different methods, and the reference ranges are not identical between them. This is one reason results need a doctor, not a search engine, to interpret them.
So why test it?
Because, read properly and alongside the other hormones that drive your cycle, AMH is genuinely useful information. It can help you plan: whether to think about trying sooner, whether to consider egg freezing, or whether to see a specialist earlier rather than later. It can also be reassuring. What it should never be is a single number that decides how you feel about your fertility.
That is why the KnowLuna fertility panel pairs AMH with FSH, LH, oestradiol, TSH and prolactin, and why every result comes with a doctor to explain it in the context of you. AMH is not rebated by Medicare in any setting, so it is always a self-pay test whoever orders it; we have set out what an AMH test costs in Australia separately.
Common questions
What is a good AMH level to get pregnant?
There is no AMH level that guarantees, or rules out, a natural pregnancy. AMH reflects how many eggs remain, not their quality, and women with low AMH conceive naturally at similar rates to women with normal levels over a year of trying. A "good" result is one that is typical for your age, and your doctor reads it alongside FSH, oestradiol and your history.
Is AMH covered by Medicare?
No. AMH has no item number on the Medicare Benefits Schedule, so it is not rebated in any setting, including a fertility clinic. You pay for it yourself whoever orders it, including your own GP. Self-pay testing through KnowLuna is not rebated by Medicare either.
What are normal AMH levels by age?
AMH peaks in the mid-twenties and declines steadily, faster after about 35. Australian labs report it in pmol/L and set their own reference intervals, so "normal" is always relative to your age and your lab. A result that would be low at 28 can be entirely expected at 42. Our AMH levels by age article covers this in detail.
Does the pill lower AMH?
Yes, combined hormonal contraception can lower AMH readings, often by roughly a fifth to a third, and the effect reverses within a few months of stopping. The result is still informative as a rough guide while you are on the pill, as long as your doctor knows what you take and reads it with that in mind.
Does AMH need to be tested on a particular cycle day?
No. AMH stays fairly stable across the menstrual cycle, so it can be collected on any day. The reason the fertility panel is timed to day 2 to 5 is the other markers in it: FSH and oestradiol give their cleanest baseline reading early in the cycle. If you are only testing AMH, timing does not matter.
Sources and further reading
- Pathology Tests Explained (RCPA): anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH)
- Steiner AZ et al. Association between biomarkers of ovarian reserve and infertility among older women of reproductive age. JAMA 2017
- Pregnancy, Birth and Baby: fertility tests and treatments
- Healthdirect: fertility
- Better Health Channel: egg freezing
General information only, not medical advice. If your symptoms are severe or sudden, see a doctor promptly. This page does not replace a consultation with a doctor who knows your history; read our medical disclaimer.