Best At-Home Hormone Tests

Are ads for at-home hormone tests flooding your socials? Are you overwhelmed by the options? Wanting to make sure you don't waste your limited healthcare dollars on unnecessary or overpriced tests?

Everlywell is here to break down what exactly at-home hormone tests are, some of their benefits, when you should see your healthcare provider instead, and the best at-home hormone tests to take for a “test run.”

At-home tests are also sometimes called direct-to-consumer lab tests. These types of tests are available to you without involving a healthcare provider or requiring a visit to a doctor’s office. Many different types of at-home tests are available, but some of the most frequently used are hormone tests.

Hormones are chemical messengers, produced by glands like the thyroid, ovaries, and adrenal glands, that travel through the bloodstream and regulate processes throughout the body.[1] At-home hormone tests measure levels of specific hormones from a small sample — usually blood from a finger prick, though some tests use saliva or urine.

There isn't one universal "hormone test." Many at-home hormone tests are sold as panels - meaning that they test for more than one hormone at the same time. Choosing the right test for you depends on what you are trying to learn. Are you looking for:

• A broad overview of your reproductive hormones?

• Insight into your fertility?

• A check of thyroid function?

• A status report of menopause-related hormonal changes?

• Confirmation of ovulation?

A healthcare provider typically orders hormone testing based on symptoms and history, sometimes timed to a specific cycle day, and interprets it alongside a physical exam. At-home tests use the same lab science but skip the office visit. Follow-up support also varies, but typically your healthcare provider or someone from their office will notify you about your test results and follow up with a plan if they are abnormal.

There are many benefits of at-home hormone tests which is why they are so popular [2]:

1. Quicker response time. Some at-home tests offer immediate results or quicker answers for those times when you just can’t wait, such as ovulation predictor kits. [3]

2. Convenience. No appointment-scheduling hassle, travel to an office or clinic, and results available to you in your home.

3. Price. Depending on your insurance plan and the type of test you choose, some at-home hormone tests cost less than in-office testing.

4. Access. If you don’t have health insurance or a primary care provider (PCP), at-home tests offer you a way to stay in the know about your hormone health.

5. Privacy. No embarrassing office waiting rooms required with at-home hormone tests!

Just like shopping for a new car, it helps to know what to look for when choosing an at-home hormone test. Before you click “Purchase,” it will help to consider:

• What's measured: Biomarkers are any substance in your body that can be used to indicate a disease or condition. Hormones are one type of biomarker. Panels test more than one biomarker at a time (sometimes more than 10)isn't automatically better, though, it depends on what you want to know..

• Collection method: Most use a finger-prick blood sample; some add saliva, and ovulation tests use urine.

• Lab certification: Look for CLIA-certified labs. CLIA regulations set quality standards for laboratory testing performed on human specimens, such as blood, body fluid, and tissue.[4]

• Follow-up support: How will you learn about your results? Will you be able to talk to a healthcare provider about your results? What happens if your results are abnormal? Follow-up support can range from no follow-up to a standard doctor review. In some cases, you have to pay extra to talk with a healthcare provider about your results.

• Cost and insurance: Prices vary widely; not all are FSA/HSA eligible.

Not to worry, Everlywell has done the hard work for you. We’ve sorted through the at-home hormone testing kits to find your best options.

• Everlywell Women's Health Test (general overview): $249, measures 10 biomarkers (estradiol, progesterone, LH, FSH, DHEA, cortisol, TSH, free T3, free T4, TPO) via finger prick + saliva. CLIA-certified lab, physician-reviewed results in a few days, FSA/HSA eligible, free shipping.

• Ro Modern Fertility Hormone Test (fertility): $179, customizes a 2–7 hormone panel (AMH, TSH, FSH, estradiol, free T4, prolactin, LH) based on birth control use. Finger prick, results in ~3 business days, includes fertility nurse and community access.

• myLAB Box Perimenopause/Postmenopause Tests (menopause): $129 each. Perimenopause covers FSH, estradiol, progesterone; Postmenopause covers estradiol and progesterone. Finger prick, CLIA-certified, results in ~2–5 days.

• LetsGetChecked Thyroid & Male Hormone Tests (thyroid/testosterone): Thyroid Antibody Test measures TSH, free T4, free T3, TGAB, and TPO with ~2–5 day results and clinical follow-up on abnormal results. Male hormone panels range $89 (testosterone only) to $199 (complete panel with SHBG, prolactin, estradiol, cortisol).

• Proov Confirm PdG Test Kit (ovulation confirmation): $29.99, FDA-cleared urine test measuring PdG to confirm ovulation occurred.[3] Results in ~10 minutes — narrower scope than a full panel, but fast and low-cost.

Larger, comprehensive panels, like Everlywell's and Ro's, aim for a wide-angle view; myLAB Box's menopause tests and LetsGetChecked's thyroid/testosterone panels target a specific system; Proov's PdG test answers one narrow question about a single cycle.

No one wants to pay for a test that gives you the wrong result, especially when it tells you falsely that your levels are abnormal. It is important to understand how accurate at-home tests are. Hormone testing is more nuanced than other at-home labs. Most hormones fluctuate throughout the day and across a menstrual cycle, so a single reading is only a snapshot in time, not the full picture.[5] This means that to get an accurate sense of your hormone status or a possible hormone imbalance, you may need to take the test multiple times.

Many at-home hormone tests haven't been reviewed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), meaning they haven't had to meet certain standards of accuracy and reliability. Also, with at-home collection, there is a greater risk of contamination or incorrect sample collection, which can lead to inaccurate results. For some hormone tests, results are more accurate when they are collected by venipuncture (drawing blood with a needle from your arm or hand) than from saliva or a finger prick.

Hormones and hormone imbalances are complex. A hormonal imbalance happens when you have too much or too little of one or more hormones. It’s a broad term that can represent many different hormone-related conditions.[5]

Their connection to your health or how you are feeling is usually more complicated than a single number or at-home test result. If you don’t have a medical degree, a panel of multiple hormone results can be tricky to understand. At-home hormone tests work best as a conversation starter with a healthcare provider. They shouldn’t be used to diagnose without context or follow-up.

• Your specific goal (overview, fertility, menopause, thyroid, ovulation)

• Collection method and number of samples required

• How much clinical support you want included

• Cost and FSA/HSA eligibility

Some tests specify a particular cycle day for collection — check your kit's instructions first. Ovulation tests like Proov's require first-morning urine on consecutive days during a specific window. For blood-based tests, register online, collect your finger-prick (and saliva, if required) sample, mail it back with the prepaid materials, and check your account within the stated timeframe.

Are you wondering whether an at-home hormone test is right for you? Or what a hormone test could reveal about your health? Are you experiencing symptoms of a hormonal imbalance? Common signs of a hormone imbalance include:

• Unexplained weight gain or loss

• Fatigue

• Irregular or absent periods

• Changes in heart rate

• Sensitivity to cold or heat

• Mood changes

• Changes in sex drive

• Difficulty getting pregnant

During the menopausal transition, declining estrogen and progesterone can bring hot flashes, night sweats, trouble sleeping, and mood changes lasting two to eight years.[6] Thyroid imbalances are also common and often go unnoticed — an estimated 20 million Americans have some form of thyroid disease, and up to 60% are unaware of it.[7]Examples of conditions caused by a hormonal imbalance are: [5]

• Acne

• Infertility

• Irregular periods

• Diabetes

• Thyroid disease

• Obesity

Talk with a provider if you are experiencing symptoms of a hormonal imbalance, especially symptoms like [5]:

• Unexplained weight changes

• Persistent fatigue

• Irregular periods

• Difficulty getting pregnant

• Any symptoms that are severe enough that they are impacting your day to day life

• Any symptoms that last several weeks or months

Follow up on any abnormal or unclear at-home result before changing diet, supplements, or medication. It is always a good idea to talk to your healthcare provider before starting a new supplement or medication.

Hormone imbalances can cause a variety of symptoms that can significantly impact your life. These symptoms can also overlap with other conditions, such as diabetes or depression.[5]

At Everlywell, we offer several at-home lab tests for hormone levels and other conditions. Everlywell's Women's Health Test offers a broad look at key reproductive and thyroid-related hormones from home, with results reviewed by an independent, board-certified physician. Whichever test fits your situation, bring your results to a provider who can interpret them in context.Everlywell also offers a testosterone test for men and people AMAB.

Understanding your hormone health often requires a healthcare provider's guidance and expertise. At Everlywell, we offer more than just at-home lab testing. If you're looking for more guidance on your hormone health or other conditions, you can schedule a virtual visit with our certified healthcare providers. Hormonal health touches nearly every system in the body, which is part of why the right test depends on what you're trying to learn. Everlywell is here to support you along your journey towards better health and hormonal balance.