FSH and LH Hormone Tests in Sharjah
Medically reviewed by Dar Al Kamal Team
What are FSH and LH hormone tests?
FSH and LH hormone tests are blood tests that measure follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinising hormone (LH). Both hormones are made by the pituitary gland at the base of the brain, and both carry instructions to the ovaries in women and the testes in men.
In women, FSH prompts a group of follicles in the ovary to grow each month, and a sharp rise in LH around mid-cycle triggers the release of an egg. In men, FSH supports sperm production and LH tells the testes to make testosterone. Measuring the two together shows how clearly the brain is signalling and how the ovaries or testes are answering. A detail few people expect: a high FSH level usually points to the ovaries or testes, because the pituitary raises its signal when the response is weak.
At Dar Al Kamal Hospital, Sharjah, FSH and LH are measured in the hospital laboratory, which runs 24 hours a day.
Who needs it
A doctor usually orders FSH and LH tests for one of four reasons:
- Difficulty conceiving. FSH and LH are among the first blood tests at an infertility consultation, for the woman and, where relevant, the man.
- Irregular or absent periods. The pattern of FSH and LH, read with other hormones, helps separate the causes of an irregular cycle, including polycystic ovary syndrome, covered on the PCOS treatment page.
- Menopause questions. Hot flushes and changing periods before the usual age, or after a hysterectomy that kept the ovaries, may lead to FSH testing as part of menopause management.
- Puberty and hormone concerns. Early or delayed puberty in young people and low testosterone symptoms in men are also assessed with these hormones.
Your doctor chooses the tests that answer your question, often adding oestradiol, prolactin, thyroid hormones or anti-Müllerian hormone in the same sample.
What happens
FSH and LH are measured from one small blood sample drawn from a vein in the arm. A tourniquet makes the vein easier to find, the skin is cleaned, and the blood is collected into a tube in a few moments. Pressure and a small plaster finish the draw.
The sample is labelled with your details and the cycle day you give, then analysed in the Dar Al Kamal Hospital laboratory. Results usually return within a short time, and your requesting doctor reviews them with you. Hormone results are read as a pattern: FSH beside LH, and both beside oestradiol and your cycle history.
Preparing for it
Timing matters more than fasting for FSH and LH. Count the first day of full menstrual bleeding as day 1. For a fertility or ovarian reserve check, the sample is usually taken in the early part of the cycle, commonly between day 2 and day 5, when hormone levels are at their baseline. Your doctor tells you the exact window. If your periods are irregular or absent, your doctor may ask for a sample on any day, or on a day matched to a scan.
Other practical points:
- Food and water. Fasting is unnecessary for FSH and LH alone. Drink water so the vein is easy to find. Your doctor tells you if another test in the same sample needs fasting.
- Medicines. Hormonal contraception, hormone replacement and some fertility medicines change FSH and LH levels. Keep taking your usual medicines and tell your doctor about all of them, including supplements such as biotin, which can affect some laboratory methods.
- Walk-in. The laboratory accepts walk-ins for most routine tests, so you can attend on the right cycle day, including weekends, with your request form.
- Ramadan. If you are fasting in Ramadan, the 24-hour laboratory can take the sample after iftar on the right cycle day.
Bring your Emirates ID, insurance card, request form and any earlier hormone results.
Afterwards
You can eat, drive and return to work straight after the draw. A small bruise at the needle site is common and fades over a few days. Keep the plaster on for a short while and press firmly if the site oozes.
Your doctor explains your FSH and LH results alongside your cycle, symptoms and any scan, and plans the next step: a repeat test in another cycle, further hormone tests, an ultrasound, or treatment through the gynaecology or urology team.
Contact the hospital if the needle site becomes red, hot, swollen or increasingly painful over the following days.
Cost and insurance
Many UAE insurance plans cover FSH and LH tests when a doctor orders them to investigate symptoms such as irregular periods or suspected early menopause. Tests requested purely for fertility planning may fall under a fertility exclusion on some policies, and some plans ask for pre-approval for hormone panels. Dar Al Kamal Hospital, Sharjah can help you check your cover on 06 599 7777.
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Frequently asked questions
Are there any risks with FSH and LH blood tests?
FSH and LH blood tests carry the small risks of any blood draw: brief discomfort, a bruise, light-headedness and, rarely, infection at the needle site. The larger risk is misreading the result, because a sample taken on the wrong cycle day or while using hormonal contraception can give a misleading value.
Can an FSH test tell me whether I can get pregnant?
An FSH test cannot say whether you will conceive. It gives an indication of how the ovaries are responding, and your doctor reads it with anti-Müllerian hormone, an ultrasound follicle count, your age and your history. Many women with a raised FSH conceive, and a normal FSH does not guarantee pregnancy.
Can FSH confirm menopause?
FSH can support a diagnosis of menopause, but during the years around menopause it rises and falls from month to month, so one result can look normal or high by chance. Doctors usually diagnose menopause from age and symptoms, and use FSH mainly when periods stop early or the picture is unclear.
What does a high LH to FSH ratio mean?
A raised LH level relative to FSH is seen in some women with polycystic ovary syndrome. It is only one clue, many women with PCOS have a normal ratio, and PCOS is diagnosed from the combination of cycle pattern, androgen signs and ultrasound findings.
Why was I asked to repeat the test next cycle?
FSH and LH vary from cycle to cycle, so a single borderline result is often repeated to see whether it is consistent. A repeat is routine practice and does not by itself mean something is wrong.
Do men have FSH and LH tests?
Men have FSH and LH tests as part of a fertility or low testosterone assessment. In men, a high FSH with a low sperm count suggests the testes are struggling to produce sperm, while low FSH and LH point towards the pituitary; results are interpreted by the doctor who ordered them.
Should I stop the contraceptive pill before the test?
Keep taking the contraceptive pill unless your doctor tells you otherwise, because stopping it abruptly can cause an unplanned pregnancy. The pill lowers FSH and LH, so your doctor decides whether testing is useful while you take it or should wait until later.
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