Test Counts 'Good Eggs' to Track Fertility

Offers $350 check-up of biological clock; some docs skeptical
By Kevin Spak,  Newser Staff
Posted Apr 24, 2008 12:33 PM CDT
Test Counts 'Good Eggs' to Track Fertility
Many women want to know when their biological clock is running down, so they can better plan their careers and families.   (Shutterstock)

Women wondering how much time is left on their biological clocks have a new option, the Chicago Tribune reports. A new test called Plan Ahead, on the market for $350, claims to measure how many high-quality eggs a woman has remaining and thus some indication of childbearing potential. But some doctors are leery of offering it, saying the test could be unreliable, and doesn’t predict actual fertility.

“We don't use it, and we won't use it clinically until it's FDA-approved,” one doctor said of the test; no peer-reviewed research has been released. Others say the information could be very valuable to women, especially those who have had trouble conceiving and want to see if they are good candidates for in vitro fertilization. “You plan your career, you plan your retirement—why not plan your family?” said one woman taking the test. (More women's health stories.)

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