Does IVF Make You Run Out of Eggs Faster?
Patient: Dr Malpani, I’m worried. How many unsuccessful IVF attempts can a woman go through before her AMH levels get affected and she goes into early menopause?
Dr Malpani: That’s a very common concern—and one that many IVF patients don’t even voice. They worry that the hormones used in IVF will “use up” their eggs more quickly, push them into early menopause, or harm their ovaries. Let me reassure you: IVF does not cause early menopause.
Myth 1: IVF drugs make you run out of eggs sooner.
Patient: But doesn’t stimulating the ovaries with hormones deplete my egg reserve?
Dr Malpani: No, that’s a myth. Here’s how ovarian biology works: every month, about 40 follicles in your ovaries start to grow. Of these, only one follicle matures and releases an egg. The other 39 naturally die off in a process called atresia.
In an IVF cycle, we give medications to “rescue” those follicles that would have died anyway. So we’re not depleting your egg reserve — we’re simply using what your body would have wasted that month.
Myth 2: IVF drugs are artificial and dangerous.
Patient: But aren’t these hormone injections unnatural and harmful in the long term?
Dr Malpani: Not at all. These “superovulation drugs” are actually natural hormones. IVF simply mimics the body’s own process but makes it more efficient — helping many eggs grow instead of just one. That’s why studies have shown IVF does not increase the risk of ovarian cancer.
What about women who do go into early menopause?
Patient: I’ve read stories of women who said IVF pushed them into menopause.
Dr Malpani: That’s because they already had poor ovarian reserve to begin with. Women with low AMH or reduced egg reserves are already destined to reach menopause earlier than average. IVF does not cause this — it just uncovers what was already biologically true. Sadly, many of them blame the treatment when the real culprit is their reduced reserve.
Patient: (relieved) So IVF won’t make me lose my eggs faster or push me into menopause?
Dr Malpani: Exactly. IVF only uses the eggs your body would have discarded anyway. It doesn’t change your biological clock. If you have a low reserve, that’s due to your genetics and age — not because of IVF.