Growing numbers of people are buying at-home fertility tests despite concern from some leading doctors that these products may cause already anxious would-be parents to worry unnecessarily about their ability to have children.
They also say there is an urgent need for better regulation in this area.
There has been a tripling in sales of Superdrug’s at-home hormone tests since December last year. The health and beauty retailer also offers consultations with online doctors about testing, with average weekly bookings rising by more than 400% during the same time period. Meanwhile, the health company Randox has reported “considerable growth” in its fertility testing kits.
Most companies offer the testing of the anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH), which can help estimate the number of follicles inside the ovaries, and progesterone, a hormone that plays an important role in the menstrual cycle.
Fertility is big business
It comes amid big waiting times for help on the NHS after the Covid…
This article was written by Sarah Marsh and originally published on www.theguardian.com