According to NHS NICE guidelines, "Consider using a FSH test to diagnose menopause only in women aged 40 to 45 years with menopausal symptoms, including a change in their menstrual cycle, or, in women aged under 40 years in whom menopause is suspected."
"If a woman is aged over 45 years and has not had a period for at least 12 months, or has vasomotor symptoms and irregular periods (or just symptoms if she doesn't have a uterus), this is adequate information to diagnose menopause and perimenopause respectively. In younger women, FSH tests should not be used to diagnose menopause in those taking combined oestrogen and progestogen contraception or high-dose progestogen because these affect FSH measurements."
Menopause: diagnosis and management NICE guideline. Published: 12 November 2015 www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng23
The levels of FSH in urine and blood can fluctuate widely in women over 45 years old, which means there is a risk that you might not know whether you have reached the menopause or not. In most women over 45 years your doctor should be able to advise based on your clinical history alone.
Yes. "The most commonly used laboratory test is the follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH). However, evidence suggests that FSH testing does not reliably aid a diagnosis of menopause in women aged over 45 years because levels of this endocrine marker fluctuate considerably in the years leading up to menopause. Approximately 70% of FSH tests are currently received by women over the age of 45 years, but is expected that with new guidance, this will fall to around 15%." This recommendation will help save the NHS around £10 million by reducing unnecessary FSH testing in most women over 45 years old. (June 2017 https://www.guidelinesinpractice.co.uk/womens-health/laboratory-tests-are-not-required-to-diagnose-menopause-in-over-45s/453222.article)
No. The measurement of FSH is not a conclusive biomarker for fertility and you should continue using contraception. Always speak with your doctor before making any changes to your lifestyle or medication.
The SELFCHECK Menopause self test kit provides equivalent FSH results to laboratory tests.
All doctors are aware, that all medical tests, whether performed in the hospital laboratory or at home with a self test kits, will give a small amount of false negative and false positive results. This can be due to interfering factors including medications and, the state of hydration when the menopause test is used. In laboratory trials the SELFCHECK Menopause Test has been shown to give a sensitivity of 97% and a specificity of 93%.
For best results, the test should be carried out first thing in the morning.
You should consult your doctor who can confirm the stage of the menopause and advise on how best to manage individual symptoms.
After use, all of the test components can be disposed of in general household waste.
