A women's hormone blood test usually measures oestradiol, progesterone, FSH, LH, testosterone, SHBG, prolactin, DHEA-S and thyroid hormones. Timing matters. If you have periods, most are taken on day 2 to 5 of your cycle and progesterone about 7 days before your next period. Results only make sense alongside your cycle, contraception and symptoms.
Hormone tests are easy to misread. Many female hormones change across the menstrual cycle, so the same result can be normal on one day and look abnormal a week later.
This guide explains what each hormone shows, when to have the blood taken, how contraception changes the numbers, and what a blood test can and can't tell you about PCOS, perimenopause and fertility. It also links to every hormone test page and our guides on each life stage.
Vively's Female Hormone Health Test measures 18 hormone markers, with progesterone taken at two points in your cycle. You start with your Baseline Health Check.
A full female hormone panel covers the hormones that run your cycle, the androgens, and the thyroid and metabolic hormones that produce many of the same symptoms.
| Hormone | What it shows | When to test if you have periods |
|---|---|---|
| Oestradiol | Your main oestrogen, made by the ovaries | Day 2 to 5 |
| Progesterone | Whether you ovulated that cycle | About 7 days before your next period |
| FSH | How hard the brain is signalling the ovaries | Day 2 to 5 |
| LH | Ovulation signal. LH to FSH balance can be relevant in PCOS | Day 2 to 5 |
| Testosterone and free testosterone | Androgen levels, relevant to acne, hair growth and PCOS | Day 2 to 5, though fairly stable |
| SHBG | The protein that carries sex hormones. Affects how much testosterone is active | Any day |
| Free Androgen Index | Calculated from testosterone and SHBG | Same sample as testosterone |
| Prolactin | A pituitary hormone that can stop periods when high | Any day, ideally rested |
| DHEA-S | An androgen made by the adrenal glands | Any day |
| TSH and free T4 | Thyroid function, which affects cycles, energy and weight | Any day |
| Fasting insulin | Early insulin resistance, common in PCOS and midlife | Morning, fasted |
For typical adult ranges for each of these, see our guide to normal hormone levels in Australian adults. Your report will show your lab's own ranges.
If you have periods, have most hormones taken on day 2 to 5 of your cycle, counting day 1 as the first day of full bleeding. Day 3 is ideal. This is when oestradiol, FSH and LH sit at their baseline, so results can be compared from one cycle to the next.
Progesterone is different. It only rises after ovulation, so it is measured about 7 days before your next expected period. On a 28-day cycle, that is around day 21. On a 35-day cycle, it is closer to day 28. A low progesterone taken on the wrong day often gets misread as a problem.
Testosterone, SHBG and the other androgens stay fairly stable through the cycle, so the day matters less for them.
If you no longer have periods, all hormones can be taken on the same day.
Hormonal contraception changes the very hormones the test measures, so tell your practitioner what you use.
Pregnancy and breastfeeding also change results. In pregnancy the Free Androgen Index isn't reliable, and while breastfeeding testosterone and DHEA-S can be lower.
Hormone imbalance. A blood test shows your hormone levels on the day it was taken. It can find clear problems, such as a high prolactin, an underactive thyroid, or no ovulation in that cycle. It can't confirm vague "imbalance" from a single result, because many hormones swing from day to day. A single result can be useful. A pattern is better. A trajectory is better again.
PCOS. Blood tests are part of a PCOS diagnosis but don't make it on their own. The 2023 international PCOS guideline, led from Monash University, diagnoses PCOS in adults with two of three features: irregular or absent ovulation, high androgens (on symptoms or blood tests), and polycystic ovaries on ultrasound or a raised AMH. Testosterone, SHBG and the Free Androgen Index cover the androgen part. Other causes, such as thyroid problems and high prolactin, need ruling out first.
Perimenopause. For most women over 45, a blood test can't confirm perimenopause, because FSH and oestradiol fluctuate so much. Read our full guide: Perimenopause blood test: what it can and can't tell you.
Fertility and AMH. Anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) gives an estimate of how many eggs you have left. It doesn't measure egg quality and can't tell you whether you will get pregnant naturally. The Australasian Menopause Society doesn't recommend it for predicting when menopause will start. Vively doesn't currently offer AMH. Our guide to AMH levels explains what a result means if your GP or fertility clinic has tested it.
All three hormone tests are add-ons. You start with your Baseline Health Check, which covers iron, blood sugar, cholesterol, liver, kidney and thyroid markers that often explain the same symptoms.
| If you... | Consider |
|---|---|
| have regular or irregular periods and want a full picture of your cycle, androgens and thyroid | Female Hormone Health Test |
| are in your 40s with changing cycles and want to see how your hormones move across one cycle | Perimenopause Hormone Test |
| no longer have periods and want a single-day hormone picture | Menopause Hormone Test |
| are tired, foggy or gaining weight and haven't had a recent general check | Baseline Health Check first |
See your GP if your periods stop for three months or more and you aren't pregnant, if you have very heavy bleeding or bleeding between periods or after sex, if your periods stop before 40, or if you notice new hair growth with acne and irregular cycles. A Vively test can add detail, but these need a doctor's assessment.
You order online, and our GP network reviews and signs the pathology request. You go to one of our 4,000+ accredited partner collection centres on the right cycle day, with no appointment needed. Results arrive in the Vively app, usually within a few days, and a Vively practitioner talks you through them alongside your cycle, contraception and symptoms. Start with your Baseline, then add the hormone test that fits.
A typical panel checks oestradiol, progesterone, FSH, LH, testosterone, SHBG, the Free Androgen Index, prolactin and DHEA-S. A fuller panel adds TSH, free T4, free T3 and fasting insulin, because thyroid and blood sugar problems cause many of the same symptoms as sex hormone changes.
Day 2 to 5 for most hormones, counting the first day of full bleeding as day 1. Day 3 is ideal. Progesterone is the exception: have it taken about 7 days before your next expected period, which is around day 21 on a 28-day cycle.
You can, but the combined pill suppresses FSH and LH, raises SHBG and lowers free testosterone, so the results show the pill's effect rather than your own cycle. Testing on the pill can still be useful for thyroid, prolactin and DHEA-S. Tell your practitioner what you take.
Yes. Every pathology test in Australia needs a request signed by a doctor. With Vively you order online and a doctor in our GP network reviews and signs the request, so you don't need a separate GP visit for the hormone add-on tests.
Many blood tests can be Medicare-funded when a doctor orders them for a clinical reason. With Vively, the Baseline Health Check can attract a Medicare rebate after a short telehealth GP consult. Our hormone tests are private add-ons with no rebate.
Not on its own. PCOS is diagnosed when two of three features are present: irregular ovulation, high androgens and polycystic ovaries on ultrasound or a raised AMH. Blood tests for testosterone, SHBG and the Free Androgen Index cover the androgen part, and other tests rule out causes like thyroid problems.
Vively supports preventative health and health optimisation. It does not replace your GP, emergency care or specialist medical advice.
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