Hormone test for women: 5 hormones from one blood draw

This test tells you the most when your cycle changes. Think of a period that turns irregular, stops or is much heavier than you are used to.

It also helps if you want to conceive or have questions about your fertility. Symptoms that fit a hormonal imbalance include tiredness, mood swings and hair loss. Those symptoms often have another cause too. So always discuss your result with a doctor.

Do you take the combined pill? It suppresses the production of FSH and LH. Your result then mainly shows the effect of the pill.

Are you over 45 with typical menopause symptoms? Then a doctor usually diagnoses the menopause without a blood test. FSH fluctuates too much in that phase to rely on one measurement.

This hormone test for women measures five hormones:

• FSH (Follicle Stimulating Hormone): stimulates follicle growth and plays an important role in your cycle.
• LH (Luteinising Hormone): signals ovulation around the middle of your cycle.
• Estradiol (E2): the main form of estrogen in your body.
• Progesterone: rises after ovulation and prepares your womb.
• Prolactin: can affect your fertility when levels are raised.

This test does not measure testosterone, AMH or thyroid hormone. Testosterone is known as the male sex hormone, but women make it too. In women the amounts are simply much smaller.

If you want those values, look at total testosterone or the AMH test. Your thyroid is assessed through TSH.

This test gives you a snapshot of your hormone balance. FSH and LH say something about the signal coming from your brain. Estradiol and progesterone show how your ovaries respond to it.

Together those values make patterns visible around your cycle and your fertility. The panel gives insight into your reproductive health at this moment. The values say nothing about a cause on their own. That interpretation always happens together with a doctor.

Your GP has your hormones tested when there is a medical reason. Your health insurance then usually covers that test, from your deductible (eigen risico).

Want to measure on your own, without seeing your GP first? Then you order this test online. It costs €139, including the blood draw and the order fee. You pay yourself, and reimbursement by your health insurer is not guaranteed.

This test needs a small blood draw. So you do not take a sample at home, as you would with a self-test. In the Netherlands you can choose from 650+ sample points. Your blood is then analysed in a certified laboratory.

After your order we arrange your referral through ZorgDomein. Allow 1 business day. Then you choose a sample point near you. Many locations have walk-in hours, at others you make an appointment.

At the draw you show the barcode from the ZorgDomein email. The draw itself usually takes only a few minutes.

No BSN? Then that barcode is missing. You print your referral form through the link in the email and bring it along.

The moment in your cycle affects your values. FSH, LH and estradiol are often measured in the first days. Progesterone says more in the second half of your cycle.

Your LH value peaks around ovulation. If you do not have a regular cycle, blood can be drawn at another time. The doctor takes that into account in your result.

Your result shows each value with a reference range and a short explanation. What counts as usual depends on your cycle phase and your age. Reference values also differ per laboratory.

If your results show deviations, that is not a diagnosis in itself. The ratio between the hormones often says as much as the separate values.

For this test you usually do not need to fast. Do note which day of your cycle you are testing on. Prolactin can rise briefly through stress or exertion.

So have your blood drawn calmly and at a normal time of day. If you use the pill or other hormones, mention that at your appointment.

As a planning figure we expect these five values 24 to 72 hours after the draw. Every value is assessed by a BIG-registered doctor.

If needed, you then discuss the result with your GP. Do that before you change anything about your treatment.