FSH Testing

I've seen lots of women recently talking about purchasing menopause testing kits on the Internet. I just wanted to highlight a few concerns that I have

regarding these kits.

Most of them seem to be testing FSH levels, a hormone produced by the brain that stimulates the ovaries to produce oestrogen and other hormones.

From my research, it seems that a lot of these tests are not quantitive i.e. telling you how high levels are but only telling you if FSH is present.

It's important to remember that all women who have started periods produce FSH throughout their cycle, and levels fluctuate. We can only say you are menopausal when the levels of FSH are very high, preferably 6 weeks apart.

There are also many things that can affect these results such as being on the pill, being on HRT and being pregnant.

Remember your health care professional will take into consideration your age, your symptoms and other health issues before advising on the need for blood tests and before discussing the benefits or risks of prescribing HRT.