PlanAhead, a blood test for fertility that measures a woman’s"biological clock,” is now available through the Fertility Centers of Illinois.
While many call this tool a breakthrough innovation, it has not yet been officially approved by the FDA.
The window of opportunity for a woman to conceive naturally depends on a couple critical factors: the quality and the number of her eggs, both of which diminish as a woman ages.
“It’s important to note that there are lots of different components to fertility and that this test measures only one of these—the supply of eggs,” says Dr. Kevin Lederer, managing partner at the Fertility Centers of Illinois.
Knowing the status of her store of eggs can help a woman determine when to try having a baby. But Lederer hesitates to recommend this test to all women and is particularly wary of administering it to women younger than 30.
“You have to be willing and ready to act on the results,” he says, adding that he would"hate to think that anyone would take this test just to check.”
Because fertility becomes notably more difficult after age 35, he says getting results before you’re 30 could lead to unnecessary anxiety if you’re not ready to think about pregnancy.
PlanAhead can be purchased for $350 online at the manufacturer Repromedix’s Web site, www.planaheadtest.com/us or through the Fertility Centers of Illinois. However, it can only be administered by a physician, so it must be done in consultation with the Fertility Centers of Illinois. Once the test is taken, the blood work is sent to Repromedix and the results will be sent back to the physician within 14-21 days.