Buy an estradiol (E2) test to measure your oestrogen levels

Oestrogen plays a role in your menstrual cycle, your bone health and many other hormonal processes. A blood test can give you more insight. Often you only notice something once the balance shifts.

Some women look for an oestrogen test when they have symptoms that may be linked to low oestrogen. This test gives you a concrete data point to work with.

This test may suit women who want to know more about their oestrogen, or who recognise certain symptoms, for example:

• with an irregular or absent period
• with symptoms that may be linked to the menopause
• with questions about fertility or how the ovaries are working
• who want to record a baseline value to compare later

This test measures one biomarker:

• Oestradiol (E2): the main oestrogen in women of reproductive age, produced mainly by the ovaries.

A focused oestrogen test like this looks at this single value, so you can view it on its own and discuss it with your doctor.

Your oestradiol level is a snapshot of how much oestradiol is in your blood at that moment. Because this hormone shifts with your cycle, its meaning depends strongly on the day you have your blood drawn. One measurement mainly shows where you stand at that moment.

What a normal oestradiol value is differs from person to person and by cycle day. A lower value may be linked to the menopause or to reduced ovarian activity.

For this test, blood is drawn at a certified sample point. There are more than 750 locations across the Netherlands.

After ordering, you choose a location near you and plan a time that suits you. Trained staff take the blood, and the draw itself only takes a short while.

This test can be useful in different situations, for example:

• when your cycle changes or becomes irregular
• with symptoms you may link to the menopause
• when you want to record an oestrogen value to compare later
• when your doctor has asked you to have your oestradiol measured

There is no single normal oestradiol value that applies to every woman at every moment. The reference depends among other things on your age, your cycle day and whether you are going through the menopause.

Around the menopause the value can fall, which is why timing matters. In your result you see your value alongside a reference range with an explanation.

Because the value shifts with your cycle, we always read it together with your cycle day or your menopausal status. The interpretation is left to the doctor.

Because oestradiol changes across your cycle, it is often measured in the early follicular phase, around cycle day 2 to 5 (day 1 is the first day of your period).

If you no longer menstruate, you can have your blood drawn at any time, and the result is then read against your menopausal status. Fasting is usually not needed for this test.

Your result is usually available online within a few working days. You see your oestradiol level alongside a reference range with a clear explanation.

The result can be a starting point for a conversation with your doctor, who places your value in the context of your symptoms and your cycle.

Every blood test result includes a professional assessment from a BIG-registered doctor. For treatment decisions, discuss your results with your GP.