estrogen-levels-test
Reviewed
An estrogen test measures the level of estrogens (E1, E2, E3) in a sample of your blood, urine, or saliva. Estrogens are hormones that play a key role in female reproductive health and also affect cholesterol, blood sugar, bone and muscle strength, and brain function in both males and females.
Preparation and collection
You may need to stop taking certain supplements and medicines (e.g., birth control pills, hormone replacement therapy) before the test. Tell your provider about everything you take, but do not stop any medicine unless your provider tells you to.
Understanding this test
Use the reference interval and units printed by the laboratory that performed the test. A result outside that interval is not a diagnosis by itself, and a result inside it does not rule out every condition. Your symptoms, history, medicines, timing, and related tests can change what the result means.
- Estrogen levels depend on many factors, including sex and age, and levels that stay too high or too low may be a sign of a health problem.
- Because estrogen levels change often, you may need to be tested more than once to look for a trend.
- Results must be interpreted by a healthcare professional in the context of your overall health and other test results.
What to do next
Talk with your provider to find out what your results mean for your health and whether any follow-up testing or treatment is needed.