We are independent & ad-supported. We may earn a commission for purchases made through our links.
Advertiser Disclosure
Our website is an independent, advertising-supported platform. We provide our content free of charge to our readers, and to keep it that way, we rely on revenue generated through advertisements and affiliate partnerships. This means that when you click on certain links on our site and make a purchase, we may earn a commission. Learn more.
How We Make Money
We sustain our operations through affiliate commissions and advertising. If you click on an affiliate link and make a purchase, we may receive a commission from the merchant at no additional cost to you. We also display advertisements on our website, which help generate revenue to support our work and keep our content free for readers. Our editorial team operates independently of our advertising and affiliate partnerships to ensure that our content remains unbiased and focused on providing you with the best information and recommendations based on thorough research and honest evaluations. To remain transparent, we’ve provided a list of our current affiliate partners here.
Health

Our Promise to you

Founded in 2002, our company has been a trusted resource for readers seeking informative and engaging content. Our dedication to quality remains unwavering—and will never change. We follow a strict editorial policy, ensuring that our content is authored by highly qualified professionals and edited by subject matter experts. This guarantees that everything we publish is objective, accurate, and trustworthy.

Over the years, we've refined our approach to cover a wide range of topics, providing readers with reliable and practical advice to enhance their knowledge and skills. That's why millions of readers turn to us each year. Join us in celebrating the joy of learning, guided by standards you can trust.

What is a Menopause Test?

Karyn Maier
By
Updated: May 17, 2024
Views: 18,714
Share

A menopause test is an analysis of a sample of blood or urine to check levels of available follicle-stimulating hormone (FHS) as an indicator of the onset of menopause. Normally, this hormone is secreted by the pituitary gland a few days before menstruation begins. Its function is to stimulate the ovaries to activate a mature follicle and release an egg. Once conception or menstruation takes place, FHS levels return to normal and progesterone levels increase. However, FHS levels increase as estrogen levels decline with age or from the ovaries failing to respond to biochemical triggers to either prepare the uterus for pregnancy or to shed it’s lining.

While it would be wildly convenient to trust that a simple test could definitively confirm whether a woman has reached menopause or not, a menopause test is not necessarily very reliable. For one thing, unless a hysterectomy has taken place, there is no way to predict when menopause will occur with precision. In addition, most women intuitively know when menopause is approaching due to experiencing irregular menstrual periods. However, menopause is not a destination with an arrival scheduled for a certain birthday. In fact, it’s a process that can take several years to complete, even as long as a decade.

Most experts agree that the menopause test presents difficulties in terms of accurately accounting for fluctuating FHS levels. In fact, FHS levels can vary considerably during times of missed periods and starting regular cycles again, a very common circumstance in perimenopausal women. In a different scenario, FHS levels may appear normal with a menopause test, but hot flashes and other symptoms are occurring because the balance of estrogen and progesterone levels are out of sync. It’s even possible for a woman to have regular periods and normal FHS levels, but without releasing an egg for fertilization. In other words, there are perfectly normal reasons for FHS fluctuations to occur from month to month and a test could pronounce a woman menopausal at one testing opportunity and not the next.

In short, a menopause test shouldn’t be regarded as a marker for menopause as one might view the results of a cholesterol test being an indicator of the potential for heart disease. In fact, many physicians prefer to forego the test and concentrate on symptoms that may signal that the transition to menopause is occurring. For that matter, a physician is unlikely to treat a woman unless uncomfortable symptoms are severe, regardless of the results of a menopause test.

This does not mean that menopause testing is a complete waste of time. Some women wish to have their FSH levels tested out of curiosity or sheer frustration over taking so long to reach menopause. The test may be performed in the doctor’s office, or in the privacy of the home. In fact, there are several menopause test home kits available for purchase without a prescription from most pharmacies and online sources.

Share
WiseGeek is dedicated to providing accurate and trustworthy information. We carefully select reputable sources and employ a rigorous fact-checking process to maintain the highest standards. To learn more about our commitment to accuracy, read our editorial process.
Karyn Maier
By Karyn Maier
Contributing articles to WiseGeek is just one of Karyn Maier's many professional pursuits. Based in New York's Catskill Mountain region, Karyn is also a magazine writer, columnist, and author of four books. She specializes in topics related to green living and botanical medicine, drawing from her extensive knowledge to create informative and engaging content for readers.

Editors' Picks

Discussion Comments
Karyn Maier
Karyn Maier
Contributing articles to WiseGeek is just one of Karyn Maier's many professional pursuits. Based in New York's Catskill...
Learn more
Share
https://www.wisegeek.net/what-is-a-menopause-test.htm
Copy this link
WiseGeek, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.

WiseGeek, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.