Which women need ovarian reserve screening?

Criteria for screening are 1) any woman over the age of 35 years, 2) any woman of any age with the diagnosis of A) unexplained infertility, B) one ovary or a history of significant surgery on an ovary (usually from endometriosis), or C) a poor response to gonadotropin-like medications in the past. Using these criteria, one out of six women screened will demonstrate diminished ovarian reserve. Age is the most common screening tool to pick up diminished ovarian reserve, and the incidence of diminished ovarian reserve increases with increasing woman's age. Unexplained infertility is also a significant risk factor for diminished ovarian reserve. Roughly 33% of women with the diagnosis of unexplained infertility will demonstrate diminished ovarian reserve, thus making their diagnosis no longer unexplained.