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Family planning has taken on a new precise meaning following a discovery that could help women determine exactly when they will lose their fertility.

The original article can be found at: http://www.abc.net.au/am/content/2010/s2938571.htm

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what we said (Hover the mouse cursor over underlined words for more info)

This story has had wide coverage and looks at a test which is not yet available for predicting when a woman's fertility may start to decline. The test is being promoted as accurate and "can even predict when young women may lose the ability to have babies". However, this accuracy is not supported by evidence and is refuted by the independent source. This story comes from a presentation at a conference which suggests the results have not been rigourously reviewed. Further the test will not be available for two years, which means it still has to undergo further testing. There is no evidence presented to support the claims, and no information about speficity and sensitivity of the test. The independent source queries some of the claims made by the researchers and introduces some sceticism, which is indeed needed.

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