WOMEN who fear that they will miss out on the chance of motherhood if they decide to delay having children may now have their concerns assuaged with a high street fertility test.

A simple kit, which went on sale yesterday, has been designed to help women to decide how long they can afford to put off having children by measuring hormone levels in their blood.

It is claimed that the Plan Ahead kit, which costs £179, assesses the number of eggs in a woman’s ovaries compared with the levels expected for others of the same age.

A prediction of the woman’s ovarian reserve for the next two years is then possible, meaning that she can make an informed decision as to whether, or how long, she can potentially delay trying to conceive. It is hoped that the test will be made available in chemists and private clinics this year.

The test is the latest move by scientists into the fertility and menopause markets. Other products are planned to help to gauge the ticking of a woman’s biological clock.

While some experts claim that such advances will be the biggest development in birth control since the Pill, others have urged caution concerning the accuracy of such tests.

More and more women are delaying motherhood as they pursue their careers, believing they will still be able to conceive late in their thirties or even early forties.

But fertility starts to decrease significantly after the age of 35 and many women who have put off having children find that they are then unable to conceive naturally.

The Plan Ahead test, marketed by Lifestyle Choices, measures three hormones in the blood — two from the ovaries, inhibin B and anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH), and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) from the pituitary gland.

Combining these three results gives a forecast of the number of eggs in reserve, meaning that women who may face an early menopause are given a warning that they may not want to delay conceiving for too long.

The test has been developed by Bill Ledger, Professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the University of Sheffield.

“My hope is that Plan Ahead will help many women to avoid the anguish caused by the early or unexpected arrival of declining fertility and menopause,” he said.

Women who buy the test receive a kit so that they can have their blood taken by a professional, such as their GP, which is then sent off to the lab to be analysed. The woman will then receive a letter explaining the results of the test, with a telephone helpline to deal with any concerns.

Clare Brown, the chief executive of Infertility Network UK, welcomed the arrival of the test, but added that other factors such as finances and emotional stability played an important role in a woman’s choice of when to conceive.

She added: “It is important to recognise though that while Plan Ahead is a valuable test, there are other factors that may cause difficulties in conceiving.”

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