Estrogen Levels Test
Reviewed
Also called: estradiol test, estrone (E1), estradiol (E2), estriol (E3), estrogenic hormone test
An estrogen test measures the level of estrogens in a sample of your blood, urine (pee), or saliva (spit).
Specimen: blood, urine (24-hour collection), or saliva (spit)
Why this test may be ordered
- In females: to help diagnose early or late puberty, PCOS, thyroid or pituitary disorders, infertility, estrogen-producing tumors, perimenopause; to monitor infertility treatments, hormone replacement therapy, or hormone treatment for certain cancers.
- During pregnancy: to help diagnose certain birth defects or monitor a high-risk pregnancy (estriol test, often part of triple or quad screening between weeks 15 and 20).
- In males: to evaluate late puberty, breast growth (gynecomastia), infertility, erectile dysfunction, or testicular/adrenal cancer.
Preparation and collection
You may need to stop taking certain supplements and medicines, such as the birth control pill and hormone therapy for menopause, before this test. Tell your provider about everything you take, but don't stop taking any medicines unless your provider tells you to.
If you are tested at your provider's office or a lab, you will provide a blood or urine sample. A health care professional will take a blood sample from a vein in your arm, using a small needle. For a urine test You'll need to collect all your urine during a 24-hour period. For an at-home saliva test You'll collect a sample of saliva and send it to a lab for testing.
There is very little risk to having a blood test. You may have slight pain or bruising at the spot where the needle was put in, but most symptoms go away quickly. There is no known risk to a urine or saliva test.
Understanding results
A healthy level of estrogen depends on several factors, including: Your age, Your sex, The reasons for having the test
- High estrogen level (in males): Estrogen levels in males, for example, don't change much throughout life. Therefore, a high level is usually a sign of a health condition such as infertility or an estrogen-producing tumor. Limitation: Though estrogen levels depend on many factors, including sex and age, levels that stay too high or too low may be a sign of a health problem. Next step: Talk with your provider to find out what your results mean for your health.
- High or low estrogen level (in females): In females, however, estrogen levels change a lot. They rise during puberty, are at their highest during pregnancy, and decline after menopause. Though estrogen levels depend on many factors, including sex and age, levels that stay too high or too low may be a sign of a health problem. Limitation: A healthy level of estrogen depends on several factors, including Your age, Your sex, The reasons for having the test, The type of estrogen that was measured, The results of other tests you may have had. Next step: Because estrogen levels change so often, you may need to be tested more than once to look for a trend in your estrogen levels over time.
- 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.
- What type of estrogen was measured (E1, E2, or E3)?
- How do my results compare to normal ranges for my age and sex?
- Do I need to repeat this test or have other tests?
- What are the next steps based on my results?
Evidence source
Source: U.S. National Library of Medicine (MedlinePlus). Practices and reference ranges may differ in your country.