Menopause Test Kit

You use a menopause test if you’re getting symptoms of menopause.

If you’re experiencing symptoms and you’re under 45, you can do a menopause test to confirm if you’re going through menopause. Your doctor may advise you to do a test if they suspect you have menopausal symptoms and you are under 40.

The symptoms of menopause include:

• hot flushes
• vaginal dryness which can cause uncomfortable sex
• having trouble sleeping
• night sweats
• mood changes like low moods or anxiety
• reduced sex drive

You can still get these symptoms even if your periods have not stopped or it’s been a few years since they have.

By confirming that you’re going through menopause, your doctor can suggest certain treatments that can ease your symptoms. This is especially important if your symptoms are affecting your daily life.

These treatments include hormone replacement therapy (HRT) and vaginal creams. Remember that HRT does not stop menopause as it is a natural part of ageing, but helps you to manage the symptoms.

This menopause test kit detects the level of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) in your blood.

During your menstrual cycle, your levels of FSH will increase. This signals your ovaries to produce oestrogen.

When there’s enough oestrogen, the pituitary gland in your brain will stop sending FSH to your ovaries. Your levels of oestrogen go up just before ovulation, which is when your ovaries release an egg.

As you approach menopause, you’ll have less oestrogen produced by your ovaries and fewer eggs to release. When FSH tries to signal your ovaries to produce oestrogen, there’ll be less to release. As there’s not enough oestrogen your pituitary gland will keep producing FSH. This causes your levels of FSH to keep increasing.

Your FSH levels can fluctuate throughout menopause. This means your test result may come back as normal despite having symptoms of menopause.

It’s important to remember that menopause is not confirmed with just a single blood test or symptom. Your doctor will take into account the whole picture before confirming if you’re going through menopause.

If you’re already taking HRT or the combined contraceptive pill, you should not use the menopause test kit. HRT and combined pills contain oestrogen which can alter your levels of FSH and give you a false test result.

Our menopause test is a simple finger prick test. We provide all the materials you need to do the test at home.

Remember to wash your hands before and after taking the test with warm, soapy water. Keep your hands warm as this will help to collect a sample of blood.

• wipe your finger with an alcohol swab and wait for the skin to dry
• twist the purple stick from the lancet to remove it
• put the lancet on your finger with the needle facing down
• press down on the purple button at the end

You’ll feel a sharp prick and should see a small drop of blood forming on your fingertip. If there’s no blood, try again with another lancet on a different finger.

• wipe the first drop of blood with a tissue
• open the collection tube and point your finger downwards towards the tube
• squeeze your fingertip to encourage blood flow
• allow the blood to drip into the tube

Keep squeezing your finger until you fill the collection tube to the line. You can use another lancet on another finger if you cannot get any more blood.

• apply the plaster to your finger once the tube is filled
• screw the lid back on securely
• put your details on the label and stick it to the collection tube

You can then put the collection tube in the protective packaging provided. Place the packaging into the prepaid envelope. This is now ready to post to our lab. You can post your sample from any Royal Mail post box.

You should get your results within 2 to 3 working days of your sample reaching the lab. Your results will go directly to your confidential ZAVA account.

You can take this menopause test at any time of the day. Your hormone levels can fluctuate throughout the day and will peak at certain points, but this is not always easy to predict.

If you want to, you can take this menopause test more than once. Wait until you get your results for your first test, and then consider when you want to take it again.

If your test results show a high level of FSH, you’re likely to be going through menopause. You should speak to your doctor about HRT or other treatments that will help you manage the symptoms of menopause.

If you’re taking contraceptive medication, do not stop taking them if your test result comes back positive. There’s still a chance you can get pregnant if you come off contraceptives, even if you’re going through menopause.

If you get a negative test result but are getting symptoms of menopause, you may be going through perimenopause.

Perimenopause happens in the months or years leading up to menopause. Your oestrogen levels will reduce over time but may fluctuate on a day to day basis. You may get irregular periods when you are perimenopausal.

Whether you’re going through perimenopause or menopause, your risk of heart disease increases. Oestrogen has a positive effect on your cholesterol (fat) levels. This means when your oestrogen drops during menopause, your cholesterol levels can increase.

High cholesterol levels can increase the build up of fat in your arteries which can lead to symptoms like chest pain or heart attacks. Remember to get regular check ups of your blood pressure and cholesterol levels if you’re going through menopause.

Our menopause test kit is accurate in detecting the levels of FSH in your body. All our test kits are processed by our accredited UK based lab partner.

Menopause is not confirmed by a single test or symptom and no test is ever 100% accurate. You should always speak to your doctor after doing a menopause test as they will be able to interpret if you’re going through menopause or not by considering your symptoms as well.