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What is Follicle Stimulating Hormone
• What is FSH?
• Why FSH is Important
• How does Fertell test for FSH
• Day 3 FSH Significance
What is FSH?
The Follicle Stimulating Hormone plays a large role in both male and female reproduction, and is produced by the pituitary gland. A simple blood or urine FSH test can determine your level. FSH tests are typically done on day three of a women's period, as her hormones should be at a baseline on that day. In women, the follicle stimulating hormone enables the follicles to produce mature eggs and manages the menstrual cycle. In men, the FSH causes sperm production.
If a woman has many eggs of good quality, the FSH level will be low because the reproductive system does not need to work hard to produce eggs. A high FSH level demonstrates that the hormone is in overdrive, trying to push the ovaries to make mature eggs. This scenario shows that the eggs may be declining in quality.
FSH results can be obtained from either a blood or urine test and is usually tested on Day 3 of her period.
Why FSH is Important
The FSH test is an indicator of ovarian reserve level and egg supply, and how likely a woman is to get pregnant. A high FSH reading can indicate poor egg quality as well as egg quantity.
An FSH test is typically done in an infertility evaluation. Multiple FSH tests are not necessary, but FSH levels do vary month to month. A high FSH level indicates low ovarian reserve, even on one occasion. Many factors can artificially lower an FSH level, but only poor ovarian reserve results in a high FSH reading. Hormonal contraception can temporarily suppress the FSH level, which could make an abnormal FSH level appear normal.
Couples should consider the woman’s FSH level along with her age, the man’s sperm motility, and other fertility factors in planning care and treatments.
How does Fertell Test for FSH
In the past, a doctor needed to conduct an FSH screening using a blood test. Now, Fertell enables women to conduct this test at home.
Fertell tests the first morning urine on Day 3 of a woman’s period for the Follicle Stimulating Hormone. The Fertell female fertility test is conducted similarly to an at-home pregnancy test. The female places the absorbent tip in her urine stream for 5 seconds. The woman then waits up to 30 minutes for the test results.
FSH in the urine reacts with antibodies on the test strip and shows as a red line in the result window. The intensity of this line reflects the FSH concentration (the darker the line, the more FSH present in urine).
Day 3 FSH Significance
Day 3 FSH provides the most accurate indicator of ovarian reserve, which is a measure of the age of her ovaries and their ability to respond to FSH in order to produce eggs capable of fertilization. Day 3 FSH offers an excellent baseline measurement, and Day 3 is also the FSH that doctors draw when performing fertility testing.
