GP requests for anti-mullerian hormone testing increased more than 13-fold between over a ten year period, despite growing evidence that the tests cannot reliably predict fertility, according to an Australian study. 

The analysis of 1.4 million health records between 2011 and 2021 found 12,060 Australian women had at least one anti-mullerian hormone (AMH) test requested by their GP, of which 8621 were conducted as part of a fertility assessment.

The sharpest rise was in women aged 30-34, with test rates increasing almost 20-fold.

But the Flinders University researchers warned that AMH tests were not a “reproductive crystal ball” and said the findings highlighted the gap between clinical practice, public perception and the scientific evidence.