Ovaries have two major functions in a woman’s life: one is to secrete sex hormones to maintain her body shape and sexual characteristics, and the other is to ovulate. When you visit the hospital because of infertility, the doctor will first help you to evaluate the ovarian function, so that you can have a deeper knowledge and grasp the golden period of fertility, and make a good arrangement for the timing of fertility. Doctors at the Fertility Center assess ovarian function from the following aspects: 1. Age Age is one of the most important factors in assessing a woman’s fertility. Ovarian function begins to decline after the age of 37, and the older a woman is, the lower her ovarian reserve is, and the quantity and quality of her eggs deteriorate as she gets older. Even if a woman over 40 years old undergoes IVF treatment, her chances of getting pregnant are less than 5%, and with each additional year of age, the success rate decreases, and over 45 years old, the success rate is very tiny, close to 0. Although a woman’s fertility gradually declines with age, it varies from one person to the next, especially for women with premature ovarian failure who are younger but whose ovarian function is not as good as that of a woman in her 40’s. Therefore, it is not possible to accurately estimate the ovarian function of a woman based on her age alone. Age alone cannot accurately estimate ovarian function. Ultrasound during menstruation Many patients don’t understand why vaginal ultrasound should be done when they are menstruating, they think it is inconvenient or worry about infection, in fact, only ultrasound during menstruation can more accurately respond to the basic state of the ovaries. ultrasound can observe the size of the uterus and ovaries, such as the uterus is normal, and there are some small sinus follicles on the ovaries, which indicates that the ovarian function is still good, such as there are only 2 small follicles left on the ovaries, or even none, which is likely to indicate that ovarian function is still good. If there are only 2 or less small follicles on the ovaries, or even none, it is likely that ovarian function has declined significantly. When the uterus is found to be atrophied and the ovaries are very small, almost impossible to find under ultrasound, it is very likely that the ovarian function has failed. Sex hormone test on the 3rd day of menstruation The 2nd-3rd day of menstruation is the time when sex hormones are the most basic and stable. The reason for choosing to draw blood on the 3rd day of menstruation is the same as that of ultrasound, which is to react to the basic state of the ovaries. The higher the FSH value on day 3 of the menstrual cycle, the worse the ovarian function. If the FSH value on the third day of the menstrual cycle is greater than 20IU/L, the chance of pregnancy drops significantly, and if it exceeds 25IU/L there is almost no possibility of pregnancy. At this time, the patient may have already combined with symptoms such as hot flashes, palpitations, insomnia, leg cramps, etc., which need to be treated with medication, and it is not advisable to carry out the treatment of assisted conception. If the FSH value on the 3rd day of menstrual cycle is between 8-10, it shows that there are signs of ovarian function decline, and you should take the time to actively arrange infertility treatment as soon as possible. IV. Previous IVF Ovulation Promotion Results If you have already undergone IVF treatment but failed to get good results with less than 3 or 5 eggs retrieved, it may indicate that the ovaries are not responding well to the medication. More than the above three points, your doctor will look at the results of the previous treatment to assess the ovarian potential and will accordingly draw up a more appropriate and effective program for the next cycle. In addition, women who want to have children should pay attention to their menstrual cycle. If they experience a decrease in the amount of menstrual flow or a gradual shortening of the menstrual cycle, they should be alerted to the signs of ovarian decline and should seek professional treatment at the Fertility Center as soon as possible.