FSH (Follicle Stimulating Hormone) Test

A doctor may recommend an FSH test to diagnose different underlying conditions:

• In women:
  • Menstrual problems such as irregular bleeding
  • Menopause
  • Infertility
  • Problems with pregnancy
  • Polycystic ovarian syndrome
  • Short stature
  • Amenorrhoea (absence of menstruation)
• In men:
  • Infertility or impotence
  • Problems with the development of testicles
  • Gynaecomastia (growth of breast tissue in men)
• In children:
  • Precocious (early) puberty 
  • Delayed puberty

FSH test can either be done on a blood sample or a urine sample. In either case, no special preparation is required.

Women should inform the doctor about the dates of their menstrual cycle since the doctor might want to conduct the test on specific days.

It is also important that you inform your doctor about any medicines or herbal supplements you might be using. Intake of any Illicit or over-the-counter drugs must also be notified to the healthcare provider.

A urine sample is usually taken for menopausal women. You may be required to give a small sample in a sterile container provided at the test centre. The doctor would inform you regarding the requirement of a specific urine sample of a particular time. Urine test kits are also available, which can be used by women at home.

For a blood sample, the technician will wrap a tourniquet around your arm to make the vein more prominent on the skin surface. Then, using a sterile needle, he/she will withdraw blood from the vein. At this point, some individuals feel slight discomfort due to needle prick, though it fades away soon. After the test, the blood sample is collected in a sterile container and sent for testing. To stop bleeding, the technician will press some cotton gauze at the puncture site and apply a bandage. There may be minor bruising in some people, which usually disappears in a few hours.

Normal results: Normal results for the FSH test in women are as follows:

• Pre puberty: 0-4.0 international unit per litre (IU/L)
• During puberty: 0.3-10.0 IU/L
• During menstruation, the different phases having varying values: 4.5-21.5 IU/L
• Postmenopause: 25.8-134.8 IU/L

Normal results for FSH test in men are as follows:

• Pre puberty: 0-5.0 IU/L
• Through puberty: 0.3-10.0 IU/L
• Adult stage: 1.5-12.4 IU/L

Normal values for an FSH test can vary from one laboratory to another. Therefore, it is best to speak to the doctor about the outcome of the test.

Abnormal results: 

• FSH values higher than normal in women could be due to Turner syndrome or tumour of the pituitary gland.
• Lower values could be due to pregnancy, recent rapid weight loss, halt in the production of eggs or sometimes due to reduced functioning of the pituitary gland or parts of the brain
• Higher values in men could be due to Klinefelter syndrome, tumours in the pituitary gland, advanced age or damage to the testicles due to various reasons, such as alcohol and radiation. 
• Lower values in men could be due to reduced functioning of the pituitary gland or parts of the brain.
• Higher values in children could be an indication of the start of puberty

The doctor may recommend more tests to confirm any of the above conditions and provide an accurate evaluation and understanding of the test results.

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Disclaimer: All results must be clinically correlated with the patient’s complaints to make a complete and accurate diagnosis. The above information is provided from a purely educational point of view and is in no way a substitute for medical advice by a qualified doctor.