The average age of menopause for American women is 52 and knowing that it’s probably a long way off has allowed women to wait to have children until their 30s or later.  The problem is that some women may experience the onset of menopause as early as 35 so most women don’t know how long they can put off childbearing.

A hormone, anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH), has been discovered that is directly related to a woman’s fertility (the number of a woman’s ovarian follicles) and can help to determine when a woman will begin menopause. Women showing lower levels of the hormone earlier in life tend to go through menopause at a younger age than average. Women with an increased level of AMH may be experiencing symptoms of polycystic ovarian syndrome (POCS).