A hormone test for women can reveal important information about your health.
Hormone blood tests can also play a role in diagnosing medical conditions such as thyroid disease or diabetes.
In some instances, they can show how well a medication is working.
Illustration by Michela Buttignol for Verywell Health
Illustration by Michela Buttignol for Verywell Health
What’s Being Tested?
Estrogen
Estrogen isn’t a single hormone.
You have many types of estrogens.
Only three of them are commonly tested:
E2 is the most often tested form.
They’re highest at ovulation and lowest atmenstruation.
E2 levels slowly decrease as you age.
The largest drop occurs at menopause when the ovaries “switch off.”
Everyone has some estradiol in their bodies, regardless of their biological sex.
These include steroid hormones,phenothiazines,tetracyclineantibiotics, andampicillin.
When Should You Get a Hormone Blood Test?
You may need one if you’re having symptoms of a hormonal imbalance.
Progesterone
Progesterone is essential for regulating menstruation and fetal development.
During the luteal phase, it helps prepare the uterus to receive a fertilized egg.
Midway through the menstrual cycle, progesterone levels start climbing.
Between six and 10 days later, if there’s no fertilized egg, levels drop off.
If the egg is fertilized, levels rise through the earliest stage of pregnancy.
Progesterone levels are measured in nanograms per milliliter (ng/mL) or nanomoles per liter (nmol/L).
High progesterone levelsusually do not signal any health problems unless they continue for a long time.
In those instances, high levels may indicate an increased risk ofbreast cancer.
How Early Can a Blood Test Detect Pregnancy?
That’s between 12 and 16 days after ovulation.
FSH stimulates the growth of an egg in the ovary to get it ready for fertilization.
FSH can be checked with either blood or urine tests.
FSH is measured in milli-international units per milliliter (mIU/mL).
In females, testosterone is produced in the ovaries andadrenal glands.
Most of it is then converted to estradiol with the help of an enzyme calledaromatase.
Testosterone is measured in nanograms per deciliter (ng/dL) or nmol/L.
Normal DHEA levels depend on your age.
It’s measured in micrograms per deciliter (mg/dL) or micromoles per liter (mmol/L).
Low libido is associated with low levels of testosterone.
A drop in testosterone can also indicate perimenopause.
Thyroid Hormones
Thyroid function is determined by the levels of a group of hormones.
These hormones are produced by the pituitary and thyroid glands.
It may also be included to examine whether the thyroid is affectingfertility and pregnancy.
TSH is measured in milli-international units per liter (mIU/L).
There’s a range for non-pregnant females as well as trimester-specific ranges in pregnancy.
T4 is measured in micrograms per deciliter (g/dL).
T3 is measured in nanograms per deciliter (ng/dL).
Interpreting TSH results can be confusing.
That’s because high TSH means low thyroid activity and low TSH means high thyroid activity.
Your provider may look at TSH alone or all three hormones together to make it reach a diagnosis.
TPOAb is measured in international units per microliter.
A normal range is less than 9 IU/mL.
This hormone is responsible for triggering ovulation, or the release of an egg.
When you have too much luteinizing hormone, you may have difficulty getting pregnant.
Too much LH can also cause problems with menstruation such as irregular periods.
Normal LH levels vary during the menstrual cycle.
They are also different for someone who has reached menopause.
Many hormones can be tested with a simple blood test.
These tests are usually done in your provider’s office or in a separate testing facility.
During the test, a sample of blood is collected into a vial using a small needle.
Some hormones are checked with a urine or saliva test.
These can also be done at a testing facility or in your healthcare provider’s office.
At Home
At-home testing kits are also available.
Some home tests check female reproductive hormones as well as cortisol and thyroid hormones.
These tests involve collecting a small amount of saliva and mailing it to a laboratory for testing.
Providers may specifically check estrogen, progesterone, FSH, testosterone/DHEA, and thyroid hormone levels.
Tests are one step in the process of diagnosing a condition.
If the results are concerning, your provider may order additional tests.
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