Taking a hormone test isn’t that hard. But interpreting the results can be a bit of a challenge. While analyzing results is different for each person because of each individual’s unique body and hormone levels, here are some general tips that could help you understand the next steps to take. if you need to know more about what is hormonal testing
General tips taking a hormone test
Estrogen: A significant decrease in estrogens, specifically oestradiol, is generally indicative that a woman is entering perimenopause. Estrogen levels are highest in the middle of your menstrual cycle and lowest when you’re on your period. Levels that are consistently below 183 pmol/L could indicate you are entering menopause, but check with your physician to be sure.
Progesterone: Progesterone levels are typically checked on day 21 of your cycle to see if ovulation has occurred. Ovulation occurs around the 14 day mark, and following ovulation, progesterone levels rise as the body begins to prepare for pregnancy. Since progesterone peaks around day 21, low progesterone could suggest ovulation has not occurred and be a potential cause of infertility. At this time, levels below 5 nmol/L indicate that ovulation has not occurred.
FSH: For women, FSH levels rise significantly during menopause as the ovaries stop releasing eggs. For men, FSH levels generally stay the same after puberty. If your FSH levels are 25.8 – 134.8 IU/L, it may be a sign that you are entering menopause.
Testosterone: Testosterone levels stay relatively constant throughout the menstrual cycle with a slight jump during ovulation. However, it is common for women with PCOS to have high testosterone, which means that the hormone is released more throughout the entire cycle. The same would apply to low testosterone as well. 8-60 ng/dl is the normal hormone range for women while 240-950 ng/dl is the normal range for men
For a more detailed analysis that includes the reference range of particular hormones, check out this article by Marion Gluck Clinic!
