At-Home Fertility Test: Does It Work?

Jan. 27, 2006 — -- Lifestyle Choices, a British company, says it has developed a "Plan Ahead" kit that can detect how many eggs a woman will have left in her ovaries for the next two years.

While this may sound like an appealing test for women worried about their biological clock, ABC News' medical contributor Dr. David Katz says he has doubts about how effective the product may be.

Right now, the test is only available in Great Britain for the equivalent of about $320.

The test involves a blood test that measures three reproductive hormones; the results are then compared to the reserve of eggs that are thought to be available to women at various stages of their lives.

"By comparing the two pieces of information, the manufacturer says a woman can learn how many eggs she has left, and how many years she'll remain fertile," Katz said.

But is it reliable?

"There's a lot more involved in a pregnancy than the number of eggs that are available in a woman's ovaries," Katz said. "For instance, the test doesn't predict the quality of the eggs, only their number."

Katz also said that he was concerned that the test might give women a false sense of security.

"On the other hand, it may serve a useful purpose, and allow a woman to measure whether she'll go through menopause in the next two years," he said.