Menopausal Self- Testing Tips

What does a home menopause test do and how does it do it? It is a home-use test kit to measure Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH) in your urine. This may help indicate if you are in menopause or perimenopause. Menopause is the stage in your life when menstruation stops for at least 12 months. The time before actual menopause is called perimenopause and could last for several years. You may reach menopause in your early 40's or as late as your 60's. Follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) is a hormone produced by your pituitary gland. FSH levels increase temporarily each month to stimulate your ovaries to produce eggs. When you enter menopause and your ovaries stop working, your FSH levels also increase. A menopause self test is a qualitative test that helps you find out whether or not you have elevated FSH levels, not if you definitely are in menopause or perimenopause.

You would want to use this test if you want to know if your symptoms, such as irregular periods, hot flashes, vaginal dryness, or sleep problems are part of menopause. While many women may have little or no trouble when going through the stages of menopause, others may have moderate to severe discomfort and may want treatment to alleviate their symptoms. This test may help you be better informed about your current condition when you see your doctor. These tests will accurately detect FSH about 9 out of 10 times. This test does not detect menopause or perimenopause. As you grow older, your FSH levels may rise and fall during your menstrual cycle. While your hormone levels are changing, your ovaries continue to release eggs and you can still become pregnant. Your test will depend on whether you used your first morning urine, drank large amounts of water before the test, use, or recently stopped using, oral or patch contraceptives, hormone replacement therapy, or estrogen supplements.

In home self help test, you put a few drops of your urine on a test device, put the end of the testing device in your urine stream, or dip the test device into a cup of urine. Chemicals in the test device react with FSH and produce a color. Read the instructions with the test you buy to learn exactly what to look for in this test. Some home menopause tests are identical to the one your doctor uses. However, doctors would not use this test by itself. Your doctor would use your medical history, physical exam, and other laboratory tests to get a more thorough assessment of your condition. A positive test indicates that you may be in a stage of menopause. If you have a positive test, or if you have any symptoms of menopause, you should see your doctor. Do not stop taking contraceptives based on the results of these tests because they are not foolproof and you could become pregnant. If you have a negative test result, but you have symptoms of menopause, you may be in perimenopause or menopause. You should not assume that a negative test means you have not reached menopause, there could be other reasons for the negative result. You should always discuss your symptoms and your test results with your doctor. Do not use these tests to determine if you are fertile or can become pregnant. These tests will not give you a reliable answer on your ability to become pregnant.

These are great tests to use if you are heading into that time of life and are not sure if you are still ovulating regularly. By no means should you stop using birth control if you do not wish to become pregnant. Many women still release an egg here and there while going through menopause. Many women have reported getting their surprise babies in their late 40's as they were going through menopause. If you plan to try one of these tests then you should repeat it every 3-6 months to be sure your situation has not changed. Menopause can last months, years, or decades. Therefore, you will want to keep on top of your changes when you first suspect that this might be the change. Never assume that you are going through menopause or try self-diagnosing. If your tests show that you could be going into the change then contact your physician for a check up.