Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH)

Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH)

“It is important to explain to women that the
blood tests of FSH/oestradiol can fluctuate on a daily basis
and therefore are not useful or necessary”.1

Umbrella

What may the Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH) Umbrella include?

Depending on the Source (DotS) this Umbrella may include:

  • Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH)

Definition

What is follicle stimulating hormone (FSH)?

DotS the definition of FSH may vary. The (United States) Endocrine Society’s definition is:

“In women, FSH helps control the menstrual cycle and the production of eggs by the ovaries. The amount of FSH varies throughout a woman’s menstrual cycle and is highest just before she ovulates. Problems with FSH release can contribute to female infertility”.2

The Menopause Society’s (formerly the North American Menopause Society) definition is:

“A hormone produced by the pituitary gland (located at the base of the brain). In women, FSH stimulates the growth of ovarian follicles (the small cysts that hold the eggs) and the supporting cells responsible for the growth and nurturing of the egg”.3

FSH Blood Test

What is a FSH blood test?

In Follicle-Stimulating Hormone (FSH) Blood Test the (United States) MedlinePlus explain:

“The follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) blood test measures the level of FSH in blood. FSH is a hormone released by the pituitary gland, located on the underside of the brain”.4

Tests or Not

Are tests most often needed to diagnose menopause?

In Menopause: Diagnosis & Treatment – Diagnosis the (United States) Mayo Clinic note:

“Tests most often aren’t needed to diagnose menopause. But sometimes, your healthcare professional may suggest blood tests to check your levels of:

  • Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and estrogen (estradiol). FSH goes up and estrogen goes down during menopause. Because hormones go up and down during perimenopause, it can be hard to tell from these tests whether you’re in menopause
  • Thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH). Overactive thyroid, called hyperthyroidism, can cause symptoms like those of menopause”.5

Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH)Menopause

What may it be important to note about menopause and FSH blood levels?

In Diagnosing Menopause: Symptom Assessment and Diagnosis At Perimenopause and Menopause the Australasian Menopause Society explain:

“It is important to explain to women that the blood tests of FSH/oestradiol can fluctuate on a daily basis and therefore are not useful or necessary. It is especially unhelpful to do hormone blood tests while women are on MHT/OCP – symptoms, not blood levels, guide therapy”.6

What is a MHT?

MHT can be an abbreviation for Menopause Hormone Therapy.

What is a OCP?

MHT can be an abbreviation for the Oral Contraceptive Pill.

Over-the-Counter Tests

Can over-the-counter home tests really tell you whether or not you’re definitely in a stage of menopause?

In Menopause: Diagnosis & Treatment – Diagnosis the Mayo Clinic note:

“You can get home tests to check FSH levels in your urine without a prescription. The tests show whether you have higher FSH levels. This might mean that you’re in perimenopause or menopause.

But FSH levels rise and fall during your menstrual cycle. So home FSH tests can’t really tell you whether you’re in menopause”.7

Health Care Provider

What if I would like to find out more about FSH?

If you would like to find out more about FSH, it may be in your best interest to choose to talk to your health care provider about this. Together you can discuss your options and if required, agree on who may be the most appropriate health care provider to help you.

Health Topics A-Z

Where may I find Health Topics A-Z related to Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH)?

In Health Topics A-Z you may find:

Health Topics A-Z

Links

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Links

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New or Updated

  1. 29 Perimenopause Symptoms You May Not Know About
  2. ACOG Explains: Managing Menopause Symptoms [American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists]
  3. Askearlymenopause.org [Ask EM] [+ Video: What Is Early Menopause?]
  4. At-Home Menopause Tests: Pros and Cons, What They Test and When To See A Provider
  5. Consumer Video and Podcast Series: 2023 Consumer Videos and Podcasts – Premature and Early Menopause
  6. Consumer Video and Podcast Series: 2023 Consumer Videos and Podcasts – Preparing for Your Menopause Health Care Visit
  7. Consumer Video and Podcast Series: 2025 Consumer Videos and Podcasts – Delaying Menopause Through Ovarian Tissue Freezing
  8. Diagnosing Menopause
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  10. Estrogen Levels Test
  11. Experts Answer Your Menopause Questions In Video
  12. Find A Practitioner [Australasian Menopause Society i.e. Australia and New Zealand]
  13. First Symptoms of Menopause
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  16. Follicle-Stimulating Hormone (FSH) Blood Test
  17. Follicle-Stimulating Hormone (FSH) Levels Test
  18. Follicle-Stimulating Hormone: More Than A Marker for Menopause: FSH As A Frontier for Women’s Mental Health
  19. HRT Is Not #contraception and So If You Are Perimenopausal Then Added Contraception Is Needed
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  22. Here’s What You Need To Know About Menopause [Video]
  23. Home Menopause Tests Measure Hormones, But Are They Helpful?
  24. Hot Flashes: What Can I Do? [+ Video: What Are the Signs and Symptoms of Menopause?]
  25. How Do FSH Levels Test Menopause and Fertility?
  26. How To Talk To Your Doctor About Menopause
  27. How To Understand Your Lab Results
  28. International Menopause Society (IMS) Recommendations and Key Messages on Women’s Midlife Health and Menopause
  29. Later Years (Around 50 Years and Over): Menopause and Post Menopause Health – Menopause [+ Video: Menopause Myths] [Other Languages and Formats]
  30. Mayo Clinic Minute: Perimenopause and Menopause [+ Video Courtesy: Mayo Clinic News Network]
  31. Mayo Clinic Q and A: Perimenopause Transitions and Concerns
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  40. Menopause Misinformation Is Harming Care
  41. Menopause Test: 5 Best Options
  42. Menopause [Home-Use Test Kit To Measure Follicle Stimulating Hormone In Your Urine (FSH)]
  43. Menopause: Diagnosis and Treatment – Diagnosis
  44. Menopause: Ensuring A Tranquil Transition
  45. Menopause: Identification and Management [NICE Guideline]
  46. Menopause: Identification and Management [NICE Guideline]Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH)
  47. Menstrual Calendar
  48. Menstrual Calendar: Calendario Menstrual [Spanish]
  49. Menstrual Calendar: Calendrier Menstruel [French]
  50. Navigating Menopause: Honest Answers To All Your Questions [+ Video: What To Expect in Menopause]
  51. Online Events [International Menopause Society]: CAMS Menopause Hour Webinars – Perimenopause: A Clinical Challenge
  52. Online Events [International Menopause Society]: Past Webinars – 2025: The Perimenopause Journey: An Adaptive Reproductive Phase
  53. Perimenopause
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  54. Perimenopause
  55. Perimenopause With Dr. Heather Hirsch
  56. Perimenopause and Menopause Checklist: Translated Checklists
  57. Perimenopause and Menopause Symptom Checklist
  58. Perimenopause: Diagnosis and Treatment – Diagnosis
  59. Videos & Podcasts: Videos – Impending Menopause: How Can Fertility Be Preserved?
  60. Videos & Podcasts: Videos – Menopause and Hormone Therapy: Current Perspectives and Controversies
  61. Videos and Podcasts: Videos – A Simple Approach To Menopausal Assessment and Management
  62. Videos and Podcasts: Videos – New Hormonal Tests To Diagnose or Even Predict the Menopause?
  63. Websites Selling Direct-to-Consumer Anti-Mullerian Hormone Tests
  64. When Does Perimenopause Start and How Do You Define the Beginning
  65. Why Is FSH Not Needed for Diagnosis of Menopause [Video]

Sources

Where may I find the Sources quoted?

You may find the Sources quoted at:

Sources

  1. Diagnosing Menopause: Symptom Assessment and Diagnosis At Perimenopause and Menopause. Content Created May 2022. Australasian Menopause Society https://hub.menopause.org.au/Play?pId=f769710e-20f5-4bcf-886a-1fa27d97254e Accessed: 15 March 2026
  2. Glossary. Endocrine Society https://www.endocrine.org/news-and-advocacy/news-room/glossary Accessed: 15 March 2026
  3. Menopause Definitions: F – Follicle-Stimulating Hormone (FSH). Menopause Society https://menopause.org/patient-education/menopause-glossary#F Accessed: 15 March 2026
  4. Follicle-Stimulating Hormone (FSH) Blood Test. Review Date: 18 August 2025. MedlinePlus https://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/003710.htm Accessed: 15 March 2026
  5. Menopause: Diagnosis & Treatment – Diagnosis. 07 August 2024. Mayo Clinic https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/menopause/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20353401 Accessed: 15 March 2026
  6. Diagnosing Menopause: Symptom Assessment and Diagnosis At Perimenopause and Menopause. Content Created May 2022. Australasian Menopause Society https://hub.menopause.org.au/Play?pId=f769710e-20f5-4bcf-886a-1fa27d97254e Accessed: 15 March 2026
  7. Menopause: Diagnosis & Treatment – Diagnosis. 07 August 2024. Mayo Clinic https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/menopause/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20353401 Accessed: 15 March 2026
Topic Last Updated: 15 March 2026 – Topic Last Reviewed: 15 March 2026

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