Next
What is an estrogen test?
An estrogen test measures the level of estrogens usually in a sample of your blood, but sometimes in urine (pee).
Estrogens are a group of hormones that play a key role in female reproductive health, including puberty, menstruation, pregnancy, and menopause. Estrogens are also important for heart, bone, and brain health in males and females. But males need estrogen in much smaller amounts.
There are many types of estrogen, but only three types are commonly tested:
- Estrone, also called E1, is the only estrogen that females continue to make after menopause. Menopause is the time after menstrual periods have stopped for a year. Males and females make estrone in the adrenal glands (glands that sit on top of each kidney), and in body fat. In females, the ovaries (the glands that contain eggs) also make estrone.
- Estradiol, also called E2, is the main estrogen in nonpregnant females of childbearing age. It's mostly made in the ovaries and is important for fertility (the ability to get pregnant). It also helps support brain and bone health. Males make small amounts of this estrogen in the testicles (the glands that make sperm).
- Estriol, also called E3, is an estrogen that increases during pregnancy. The placenta (the organ that grows in the uterus to provide nutrients and oxygen to the unborn baby) makes estriol. Measuring estriol levels can help monitor the health of a pregnancy and the unborn baby. Males and nonpregnant females have very low levels of this estrogen.
Estrogen levels in females normally change a lot throughout life. In males, estrogen levels change much less. But levels that stay too high or too low may be a sign of a health problem.
Other names: Estradiol test, Estrone (E1), Estradiol (E2), Estriol (E3), Estrogenic hormone test
App available for download
Search for “Health Diary” in Google Play & App Store
Login
Register
Home
Messages
Change Language
My Profile