DNA test to 'predict future fertility'

By Lucy Halfhead  on Thursday 5 November 2009

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Women concerned about their fertility will soon be able to find out exactly how many fertile years they've got left, thanks to a new test developed by leading scientists.

The breakthrough follows the discovery of a gene called ‘Fragile X' that indicates the rate at which a woman's egg supply will diminish over the years. By monitoring the speed of the biological clock, the test can reveal how many eggs a woman has left - and give early warning of declining fertility.

If a woman tests positive, she can opt to start a family sooner - or freeze some eggs to increase the chances of conceiving a child later on, according to reports in the the Daily Mail.

Professor Norbert Gleicher, of the Centre for Human Reproduction in New York, said: 'We can take an 18 or 20-year-old girl and check her Fragile X and make a pretty good prediction of whether she's at risk.'

The state of the gene Fragile X can predict the rate at which a woman's egg supply may diminish over the years, creating an effective 'early warning system' for fertility, according to reports in the New Scientist.

If women test positive, they will be given a back-up hormone test that can confirm that their egg supply is running out more quickly. Earlier this year, British fertility doctor Professor Bill Ledger said women should take a 'fertility MOT' aged 30 to show how quickly their biological clock is ticking.

But would you take a fertility test to find out how many fertile years you've got left? Let us know by posting your views below...

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Thursday 5 November 2009

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I think it's a good idea and I'm definitely for the fertility MOT, although I think it should be optional. It should be offered on the NHS. I am 36 and have no children but have always wanted them, just not been in the right relationships.

Bring it on!
Comment by sam bond on November 05 12:39

I would like to take a fertility test to see if I could dispense with contraception! I've never wanted kids, and at 39 I've been popping pills since 17 when I could be infertile anyway...
Comment by Pod on November 05 18:37

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