New blood test will show women's egg levels: report

Women will soon be able to tell how many eggs they have in their ovaries in a simple hormone test that Australian researchers said Sunday could revolutionise family planning and fertility treatment.

The so called "egg timer" blood test would be able to accurately predict ovum levels based on the concentration of a specific fertility hormone, said conception specialist Peter Illingworth.

"I think this is a big step forward," said Illingworth, medical director of IVF Australia.

"What the test will do is identify those younger women who may well be at serious risk of not having children easily when they're older," he told public broadcaster ABC.

"It will identify women who are at risk of having a premature menopause for example and allow women to plan how active they should be about fertility treatment."

Women who had undergone treatment for cancer or endometriosis or had ovarian surgery would particularly benefit from the anti-mullerian hormone (AMH) test, he said, which would cost just 65 dollars (58 US dollars).

It could also save couples tens of thousands of dollars in expensive but...