Would my life have looked different had I had more insight into my fertility before I was ready to start trying? Had I been armed with this knowledge could I have saved myself months of fertility treatments and heartbreak?
I won’t ever know the answers to these questions because my fertility journey is behind me now, but if you’re curious about your fertility, Modern Fertility is making it easier and more affordable than ever before to test your fertility long before you’re even considering starting a family.
The truth is, about 10% of women in the United States, aged 15-44, have difficulty getting pregnant.
The Modern Fertility test is designed for women who are interested in being proactive about their bodies and with their future when it comes to reproductive health, and I am extremely excited to bring you a comprehensive review of this D2C reproductive health brand today!
What is Modern Fertility?
Modern Fertility was founded in 2017 by two women, Afton Vechery and Carly Leahy, who were hearing a lot of noise about fertility and how important it is to understand it. Neither woman was at a place where they were ready for children, but they wanted to understand how it applied to them and what kinds of information they should understand about their bodies.
They discovered that they could go visit a fertility clinic and have simple blood tests conducted that would give them the insights they needed, but that the cost to do so was massive and that reading the results wasn’t always black and white, so they set out to make it easier for women to get the information they need to make informed decisions regarding their fertility.
Science and technology have come a long way in the reproductive health space, but the first step is always knowing where you stand right now, which is exactly what the Modern Fertility Test can do for you.
What Exactly Does The Modern Fertility Test Do?
As someone who went through an infertility journey, going in completely blind to it, I can tell you that there is so much power in knowledge when it comes to this topic. Unfortunately, women’s fertility is not something that is widely discussed or brought to light until the time a woman wants to start trying for a baby. This means that there are countless women who don’t understand their fertility and hormones until it’s too late.
This is where Modern Fertility’s test comes into play. This at-home test kit measures eight hormones that play a role in female fertility that can give you information about both your reproductive and general health.
While there is no way to definitively predict fertility, understanding your hormones and the role they play can help inform the choices that you make for your life as you plan for the future. Knowing your various reproduction-related hormone levels can give you an indication of early menopause, your egg count, and if you have common reproductive health conditions like PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome).
What Hormones Does The Kit Test?
Modern Fertility test kit tests for eight hormones in total. Understanding these hormones and taking this information to your doctor can help you be proactive about your reproductive health by understanding your egg count, ovulation, general body health, and any red flags that relate to your fertility.
- Anti-Mullerian Hormone (AMH) - This is produced by your ovarian follicles. The more AMH you produce, the more eggs you’re likely to have.
- Follicle-Stimulating Hormone (FSH) - This is the hormone that’s responsible for growing your follicles and stimulating ovulation. This level can indicate how many eggs you have in reserve.
- Estradiol (E2) - This is a sex hormone that’s produced by the ovaries that can affect your FSH levels.
- Luteinizing Hormone (LH) - This is produced by the pituitary gland and it plays an important role in your menstrual cycle, signaling to the ovaries to produce estradiol and prompting the ovaries to release eggs each month during ovulation.
- Thyroid-Stimulating Hormone (TSH) - This is produced by your thyroid gland, which helps regulate your thyroid health and has a direct impact on your fertility.
- Free thyroxine (FT4) - This hormone, along with TSH, helps to paint a clearer picture of your overall thyroid health, which plays a role in your fertility.
- Prolactin (PRL) - This is the milk production hormone which also triggers a pause in ovulation after giving birth. PRL inhibits FSA, therefore, high prolactin levels can affect fertility.
- Testosterone - This is predominantly a male hormone, however, women have and need a small amount. When testosterone is too high or too low, it can affect fertility, potentially playing a role in the development of follicles.
What Does The Test Tell Me? And, How Does it Help?
Now that you understand which hormones are being tested and what their role is in your fertility, what exactly will the numbers tell you?
For starters, your test results can be a very useful baseline for investigating potential red flags that could affect your ability to conceive in the future. Here’s what this company's testing can do for you:
Indicate if you have more or fewer eggs than average - Every woman is born with all the eggs we’ll ever have, and as the years’ pass, the number diminishes all the way to zero by the time we hit menopause. If you have fewer ages than average for your age, there are things you can do to account for that. You can adjust your timeline to maximize your chances of conceiving a healthy baby, look into fertility treatments, speak with your doctor about your options, etc.
Tell you if you may hit menopause earlier than average - We all have different fertility timelines, which means knowing where menopause falls for you will differ. The average age of menopause is 51 in the US, however, the process of menopause begins 10 years before your last period. Knowing this information can help you plan ahead, particularly, if you’re projected to begin menopause earlier than normal.
Help you understand IVF and egg freezing outcomes - The test can help determine your ovarian reserve, which will give an indication of success rates for treatments like IVF and egg freezing. Knowing this information presents a wonderful opportunity to start the conversation with your doctor/partner/family about your options for the future.
Insights into how your general health affects your hormones - Fertility is complicated and involves processes throughout your body. For example, your thyroid plays a big role in your fertility along with other normal body functions. If your thyroid levels are off, it could contribute to your fertility in the future. That’s why understanding your general body health will also give you a picture of your reproductive health so that you can adjust and plan accordingly.
Get to know PCOS - PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome), is a hormonal condition that affects your body’s ability to release an egg every month. I am one in ten women who have this condition, so I can tell you firsthand the struggles that accompany it. The good news is that there are things you can do to control it. When armed with the information you need, you and your doctor can make a plan for your future.
What You Get With Modern Fertility
If you choose to test your fertility with the Modern Fertility Test, you can expect the following:
A customized hormone test - We’re all different, and whether or not you’re taking hormonal birth control will play a role in your test and your results. Modern Fertility provides customized tests that will always include testing for AMH, the most reliable marker for ovarian reserve.
Hormone levels to share with your healthcare provider - You can easily download your levels as well as a discussion guide to serve as a starting point for a discussion with your doctor or healthcare provider.
Personalized, easy-to-understand reports - The reports you receive will explain to you how your hormone levels relate to ovarian reserve, IVF and egg freezing, menopause, and more.
Comprehensive support - You’ll get access to one on one consultations with a fertility nurse, or you can choose to join in on one of their weekly “Egginars” to get answers to your questions.
Community and connection - Fertility can be an isolating topic and not one that many are open to discussing. Modern Fertility aims to create a community of Modern women who are there to hear your thoughts and answer your questions, ensuring you never feel alone on your journey.
How it Works: Getting started with the hormone test
Getting started with Modern Fertility is simple and straightforward and the best part is that everything is done easily from the comfort of your own home! Here’s how it works:
Step 1:
Complete a short questionnaire that will ask for your basic information like age, birth control, and family planning details.
Step 2:
A doctor will review your request and order a test for you. The test you receive will be customized based on your birth control status and type. When you receive the test via mail to your home, the choice is yours if you want to test at home or to visit a local Quest Diagnostics lab.
Step 3:
If you’re taking your test at home and you’re not on hormonal birth control, you’ll need to collect your sample on the third day of your period. If you’re on birth control, the test can be done at any time during your cycle, but you’ll only be testing for AMH and FSH. The test is done through a simple finger prick. The package will come with full instructions on how to collect and submit your sample. If you prefer to have the testing done in a lab, a regular lab draw will be conducted.
Step 4:
Once your sample is received back by Modern Fertility, your results will be reviewed by a doctor and sent to you via your private dashboard within 10 days, however, the average wait time is just 4 days. Once your results are available, you will have the option to discuss them with a fertility nurse if you have any questions, or need additional information.
What Makes This Testing Kit Legit?
Modern Fertility’s test is 100% legitimate based on science, research, and countless reviews from customers and medical professionals that support the validity and accuracy of their testing methods.
Modern Fertility provides an easy-to-use, effective form of fertility testing that’s accessible for women everywhere. Here’s why you can trust this company for your reproductive health screening:
- Each test is ordered and reviewed by a licensed physician.
- The test was developed by a team of physicians and clinical advisors that lead the nation’s top fertility clinics.
- All tests are conducted in a CLIA (Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments) Certified Lab.
They conducted a clinical trial that was published in the Green Journal, the Official Publication of the ACOG (American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists) that determine that both collection methods used by Modern Fertility are viable for all 8 hormones measured.
The Modern Fertility team cares about their customers and helping them glean the information they need to make informed decisions about their future, as proven by their dedication to customer service, ready access to accredited health professionals, and growing Modern community of likeminded women.
FAQs
Before I wrap up this review, I want to make sure that I cover all your questions, so I dug up some of the most frequently asked questions pertaining to Modern Fertility and how it works and answered them below.
Q: Why use Modern Fertility’s test instead of going to a fertility clinic or my OBGYN?
A: Unfortunately, proactive fertility hormone tests are not covered by federal insurance. Some states do cover reactive “infertility,” but they usually have a stipulation that states you must have been trying to conceive for at least a full year before they will cover such testing. And getting information to plan ahead is basically not covered anywhere, which really stinks because to pay out of pocket, you’re looking at a massive bill upwards of $1500 through your doctor. Yikes! Modern Fertility is the easiest, most accessible, and affordable way for women to check their fertility. As a bonus, you can use your HSA/FSA to cover the cost, which is only $159!
Q: How do I know when day 3 of my period is?
A: Cycles are tricky, and knowing which day to test can feel confusing. I know because I’ve been there plenty of times. You should count day 1 of your period as the first day of a full flow that begins before 5 pm. For example, let’s say you start spotting on Sunday and Monday, but then a full flow begins on Tuesday before 5 pm, you would count Tuesday as your day 1 and then Thursday would be your day 3.
Q: What if I am not taking birth control and I don’t get a period at all?
A: There are a number of reasons why you may not be getting a monthly cycle. If this is the case for you, send an email to the Modern Fertility team at [email protected] and they will advise you on the next steps. This was the case for me, I did not have a period due to having PCOS, so it’s comforting to know that they will find a customized solution for you.
Q: What is the age range that Modern Fertility’s test is approved for?
A: Currently, it’s approved for women ages 21-45, based on research and review with physicians.
Q: Is the test available in all 50 states?
A: The hormone test is available in all states with the exception of New York, New Jersey, and Rhode Island, however, the team is working to make them available in those states, too!
Wrapping Up
Fertility is a delicate issue, albeit an incredibly important one! When I was starting my journey to become a mother, this test didn’t exist yet, however, if it did, I am confident that I would have purchased it.
Just like the saying goes, “knowledge is power.” When we’re armed with the right information and data, we can make logical, calculated steps in the direction where we think we want to go in the future. Even if having children is still just a far off fantasy for you, wouldn’t you rather know now if you may have some obstacles to face along the way? Wouldn’t you rather do what you can to optimize your success when that day comes?
I know I would have as I almost certainly could have saved myself a lot of time, money, and heartbreak along my journey. Modern Fertility is providing women a safe, easy, affordable way to take control of their fertility and get the information that all women should have access to if they so choose.
