Bengaluru Doctors Warn of Declining Egg Counts in Women in Their 20s and 30s

Bengaluru fertility experts have warned of a growing trend of declining ovarian reserve, or low egg count, among women in their late 20s and early 30s across the city. This condition, which was historically observed in women in their mid-to-late 30s, is increasingly being detected in younger women, significantly shortening their window for conception.

According to Dr. Anupama Ashok, Senior Consultant and Fertility Expert at Motherhood Fertility & IVF, evaluations of women aged 28 to 35 showed that approximately 30 to 50 percent had Anti-Müllerian Hormone (AMH) levels below 2 ng/mL. Furthermore, 14 to 26 percent of these women recorded AMH levels below 1 ng/mL. Both of these ranges indicate a reduced ovarian reserve. Dr. Ashok noted that fertility clinics are detecting this decline at much younger ages compared to a decade ago.

Low ovarian reserve refers to a lower-than-expected number of eggs in a woman’s ovaries for her age. Since women are born with a finite number of eggs, the count naturally declines over time. While the condition does not necessarily cause infertility, specialists warn that it reduces the timeframe available for pregnancy, especially as marriage and childbearing are increasingly delayed.

Dr. Apurva Satish Amarnath, a fertility specialist at Nova IVF Fertility, highlighted that one of the primary challenges of low ovarian reserve is that it often develops without any noticeable symptoms. She explained that having regular menstrual cycles does not automatically indicate normal fertility, meaning many women only discover the condition during formal fertility evaluations.

Experts attribute the trend primarily to genetic factors, though lifestyle habits such as smoking, alcohol consumption, poor diet, chronic stress, and lack of exercise can accelerate the decline. Medical conditions like endometriosis, autoimmune disorders, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy also adversely affect the reserve. Dr. Kavya D. Sharma, Consultant in Reproductive Medicine at Milann Fertility and Birthing Hospital, added that both egg quantity and quality decline after age 30, with the decline accelerating after 35, which also increases risks such as miscarriages and gestational diabetes.