FSH Test: Purpose, Procedure, Risks, & Understanding Reports

FSH or Follicle Stimulating Hormone, released by the pituitary gland, plays a crucial role in reproduction. In women, this hormone stimulates the growth of eggs in ovaries and in men, it helps to generate sperm. Follicle Stimulating Hormone is essential for sexual development in children. Women experiencing irregular menstruation, vaginal dryness or children experiencing delayed puberty are ones who get prescribed with the Follicle Stimulating Hormone or FSH test.

Read on to know about the Follicle Stimulating Hormone test in detail!

What Is an FSH Test?

Follicle Stimulating Hormone test checks the level of FSH in blood or urine.

The need for this test can arise when the human body shows certain symptoms. These are discussed below.

What Is the Need and Purpose of Taking the FSH Test?

As stated in the introductory paragraph, Follicle Stimulating Hormone helps to manage the menstrual cycle and stimulate the ovaries to produce eggs (in women).

Hence, doctors may prescribe this test to women to diagnose the following conditions -

Polycystic ovarian syndrome
Women having abnormal or irregular menstrual bleeding
Trouble getting pregnant or causes of infertility
Premature menopause

Doctors may prescribe this test to men to evaluate the following conditions -

Cause of infertility
Reasons for low sperm count
Asses testicular dysfunction

For children, this test is given to find out the reasons of,

Early puberty (before the age of 9 for girls and 10 for boys)
Late puberty (by the age 13 in girls and 14 in boys)

Now that individuals know what FSH test is and why FSH test is done let’s learn about other important details. Read along!

How is the FSH Test Done?

Doctors can check FSH levels in two ways. These are as follows -

Blood Test

While taking an FSH blood test, healthcare professionals will use a sterilized needle and take a small amount of blood from vein in your arm.

Urine Test

Women can provide urine sample(s).The level of FSH can fluctuate; hence women might have to collect urine for over a course of 24 hours for accurate results.

Who Should Take the FSH test?

Women, men and children can take this test if they experience the conditions mentioned previously.

How to Prepare for the FSH Test?

For the FSH test, individuals need not take any preparations.

However, before taking FSH test, women must inform doctors if they are consuming -

Prescription or non-prescription medications
Dietary supplements and vitamins
Any type of birth control, such as the pill, an intrauterine device, or the patch

Further, they must inform their doctor about any existing medical condition as it may affect the test results. These include -

Ovarian cysts
Uncontrolled thyroid disease

After taking a FSH test and getting the report, one might want to read the results. The following section discusses the FSH report reading process in detail. Read on.

How to Read a FSH Test Report?

To measure FSH level, doctors use international units per litre (IU/L).

In women, the normal range of FSH varies depending on their age/stages of life.

Stages	Normal FSH level
Before Puberty	0–4 IU/L
During Puberty	0.3–10 IU/L
While Menstruating	4.7–21.5 IU/L
After Menopause	25.8–134.8 IU/L

FSH levels can vary during different stages of the menstruation cycle. Follow the table mentioned below -

Stages	Normal FSH level
Follicular	1–9 IU/L
Midcycle	6–26 IU/L
Luteal	1–9 IU/L

Similar to women, FSH levels can vary in men depending on the stage they are in their life. Refer to the table mentioned below -

Stages	Normal FSH level
Before Puberty	0—5 IU/L
During Puberty	0.3—10 IU/L
Adulthood	1.5—12.4 IU/L

The normal range of FSH levels in males is stated as per a medical institution’s report and can vary from the range of other medical institutions.

As individuals are aware of the normal range of FSH in both women and men, anything below or above the specified range points to a low or high level of FSH in humans.

In women, high FSH levels can cause diseases like an ovarian failure, polycystic ovarian syndrome, a chromosomal abnormality.
On the other hand, a low FSH level can reduce the ability to produce eggs. It may also mean that the pituitary gland is not functioning properly, or another tumour is affecting the production of FSH.
A high level of FSH in men can indicate Klinefelter’s syndrome, dysfunctional testicles, damaged testicles due to alcohol dependency, or treatments such as X-rays or chemotherapy.
A low level of FSH in men indicates a low sperm count.
A high level of FSH in children indicates puberty is about to start.

What Are the Risks of Taking FSH Tests?

There is nothing significant to worry about while undergoing a FSH test procedure. However, like every other procedure, it might involve certain minor risks. These are as follows -

Vasovagal syncope (fainting at the sight of blood)
Vertigo
Dizziness
Infection
Bruising
Redness at the needle administration site
Moderate pain

Apart from the conditions discussed above, issues like stress, being underweight can affect FSH levels. Hence, individuals must inform every little detail pertaining to the reproductive system (if they take birth control pills) or anything they deem important enough to inform the doctor before taking the FSH test.

Frequently Asked Questions

✓ Can Hematoma occur after taking Follicle Stimulating Test?

Yes, Hematoma (abnormal collection of blood outside blood vessels) can occur after taking Follicle Stimulating Test.

✓ Is it necessary to inform doctors about sex-dependant hormone tumours while taking Follicle Stimulating Test?

Yes, it is necessary to inform doctors about sex-dependent hormone tumours while taking Follicle Stimulating Test. This information helps doctors to diagnose issues easily.