Most doctors assess ovarian reserve by measuring the levels of anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH) in the blood, as well as by conducting a vaginal ultrasound to count the number of early-stage structures called follicles in the ovary. Together, these two markers are strongly correlated with how a woman’s ovaries are aging. (Women who are close to menopause tend to have lower values on these tests.)
In the new study, researchers looked at both markers of ovarian reserve in 833 Danish women between ages 18 and 46, including some who used oral contraceptives.
Those women who were taking the pill had 19 percent lower levels of AMH, and 16 percent fewer early-stage follicles. Their ovaries were also much smaller than those of women who were not taking the pill.
The effect held even when researchers adjusted for other factors known to affect those markers, such as women’s body mass index (BMI), and whether they smoked.
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