FSH test

The hormone that stimulates the ovaries and testicles.

€10.38. You pay at the desk, not online.

FSH test: what it is for

FSH is a hormone made by the pituitary, a small gland at the base of the brain. In women it makes follicles grow in the ovaries; in men it helps produce sperm. When the ovaries respond less, as they do towards menopause, the pituitary makes more of it and FSH rises.

When it is done

Doctors order it when periods become irregular or stop, when a pregnancy is slow to come, or when they suspect an early menopause. In men, usually for fertility problems or low testosterone.

If you still have periods, it is usually done between day two and day four of the cycle, together with oestradiol. Over 45, it is usually not needed to tell whether you are in perimenopause or menopause: your symptoms and your periods are enough.

How the FSH test is done

It is a blood test, done at a Bianalisi lab without a prescription. You can add other tests to the same draw.

Questions about the FSH test.

On which day of the cycle is FSH tested? If you have periods, usually between day two and day four, counting the day your period starts as day one. If you have no periods, on any day.

How much does the FSH test cost? €10.38, from Bianalisi’s private list for Lombardy. You pay at the desk on the day of the draw, not online.

Do I need a prescription for the FSH test? No. You book it here without a prescription and pay at the Bianalisi desk.

When do results arrive? Within 10 working days, in the Rosa app, with each value next to the lab’s interval. The report a doctor approves is in the Rosa membership.