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Writer's pictureEmma Jacques

On Hormone Testing and Fertility

Updated: Jan 30, 2023



Emma Jacques, Naturopath, Fertility, DUTCH test, testing, women's health



𝖴𝗇𝖿𝗈𝗋𝗍𝗎𝗇𝖺𝗍𝖾𝗅𝗒 𝗈𝗇𝖾 𝗈𝖿 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗍𝗁𝗂𝗇𝗀𝗌 𝗍𝗁𝖺𝗍 𝗂𝗌 𝖼𝖺𝗋𝗋𝗂𝖾𝖽 𝗈𝗎𝗍 𝗏𝖾𝗋𝗒 𝗉𝗈𝗈𝗋𝗅𝗒 𝖿𝗈𝗋 𝗐𝗈𝗆𝖾𝗇 𝗍𝗋𝗒𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝗍𝗈 𝖼𝗈𝗇𝖼𝖾𝗂𝗏𝖾 𝗂𝗌 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗅𝖾𝗏𝖾𝗅 𝗈𝖿 𝗁𝗈𝗋𝗆𝗈𝗇𝖾 𝗍𝖾𝗌𝗍𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝗂𝗍𝗌 𝗂𝗇𝗍𝖾𝗋𝗉𝗋𝖾𝗍𝖺𝗍𝗂𝗈𝗇.



Is Hormone Testing Necessary?

𝖨𝖿 𝗒𝗈𝗎 𝗁𝖺𝗏𝖾 𝖻𝖾𝖾𝗇 𝗍𝗋𝗒𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝖿𝗈𝗋 𝗌𝗈𝗆𝖾 𝗍𝗂𝗆𝖾 𝗈𝗋 𝗁𝖺𝗏𝖾 𝖺𝖻𝗇𝗈𝗋𝗆𝖺𝗅𝗂𝗍𝗂𝖾𝗌 𝗍𝗈 𝗒𝗈𝗎𝗋 𝖼𝗒𝖼𝗅𝖾 𝗌𝗎𝖼𝗁 𝖺𝗌 𝗂𝗋𝗋𝖾𝗀𝗎𝗅𝖺𝗋 𝗉𝖾𝗋𝗂𝗈𝖽𝗌, 𝖼𝗒𝖼𝗅𝖾𝗌 𝗌𝗁𝗈𝗋𝗍𝖾𝗋 𝗍𝗁𝖺𝗇 𝟤𝟧 𝖽𝖺𝗒𝗌, 𝗅𝗈𝗇𝗀𝖾𝗋 𝗍𝗁𝖺𝗇 𝟥𝟦 𝖽𝖺𝗒𝗌, 𝖾𝗇𝖽𝗈𝗆𝖾𝗍𝗋𝗂𝗈𝗌𝗂𝗌, 𝖯𝖢𝖮𝖲 𝗈𝗋 𝖺𝗇𝗒 𝗈𝗍𝗁𝖾𝗋 𝗁𝗈𝗋𝗆𝗈𝗇𝖺𝗅 𝖼𝗈𝗇𝖽𝗂𝗍𝗂𝗈𝗇 - 𝗍𝗁𝖾𝗇 𝖺𝖻𝗌𝗈𝗅𝗎𝗍𝖾𝗅𝗒.



But my GP has tested my hormones

𝖬𝗈𝗌𝗍 𝗍𝖾𝗌𝗍𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝗅𝗈𝗈𝗄𝗌 𝖺𝗍 𝗈𝖾𝗌𝗍𝗋𝖺𝖽𝗂𝗈𝗅 (𝖤𝟤) 𝗉𝗋𝗈𝗀𝖾𝗌𝗍𝖾𝗋𝗈𝗇𝖾, 𝖫𝖧 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝖥𝖲𝖧 𝗂𝖿 𝗒𝗈𝗎 𝖺𝗋𝖾 𝗅𝗎𝖼𝗄𝗒. 𝖳𝗁𝗂𝗌 𝗂𝗌 𝖺 𝖿𝗋𝖺𝖼𝗍𝗂𝗈𝗇 𝗈𝖿 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗂𝗇𝖿𝗈𝗋𝗆𝖺𝗍𝗂𝗈𝗇 𝗍𝗁𝖺𝗍 𝖼𝗈𝗎𝗅𝖽 𝖻𝖾 𝗀𝖺𝗂𝗇𝖾𝖽 𝗍𝗁𝗋𝗈𝗎𝗀𝗁 𝗍𝖾𝗌𝗍𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝖿𝗈𝗋 𝖿𝖾𝗋𝗍𝗂𝗅𝗂𝗍𝗒.


𝖬𝖾𝖽𝗂𝖼𝖺𝗋𝖾 𝗐𝗂𝗅𝗅 𝗈𝗇𝗅𝗒 𝖼𝗈𝗏𝖾𝗋 𝗌𝗈 𝗆𝗎𝖼𝗁, 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝗂𝖿 𝗍𝗁𝖺𝗍 𝗂𝗌 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗈𝗇𝗅𝗒 𝖺𝖿𝖿𝗈𝗋𝖽𝖺𝖻𝗅𝖾 𝗈𝗉𝗍𝗂𝗈𝗇 𝗍𝗁𝖾𝗇 𝗍𝗁𝖾𝗋𝖾 𝖺𝗋𝖾 𝗌𝖾𝗏𝖾𝗋𝖺𝗅 𝗍𝗁𝗂𝗇𝗀𝗌 𝗍𝗁𝖺𝗍 𝖼𝖺𝗇 𝖻𝖾 𝖽𝖾𝗍𝖾𝗋𝗆𝗂𝗇𝖾𝖽 𝗐𝗂𝗍𝗁 𝗍𝗁𝗂𝗌 𝗍𝖾𝗌𝗍𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝗁𝗈𝗐𝖾𝗏𝖾𝗋 𝗂𝗍'𝗌 𝗂𝗆𝗉𝗈𝗋𝗍𝖺𝗇𝗍 𝗍𝗈 𝗄𝗇𝗈𝗐 𝗍𝗁𝖾𝗋𝖾 𝖺𝗋𝖾 𝗆𝗈𝗋𝖾 𝖾𝗑𝗍𝖾𝗇𝗌𝗂𝗏𝖾 𝗍𝖾𝗌𝗍𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝗈𝗉𝗍𝗂𝗈𝗇𝗌 𝖺𝗏𝖺𝗂𝗅𝖺𝖻𝗅𝖾 𝗍𝗁𝖺𝗍 𝗅𝗈𝗈𝗄 𝖺𝗍 𝖺 𝖻𝗋𝗈𝖺𝖽𝖾𝗋 𝗋𝖺𝗇𝗀𝖾 𝗈𝖿 𝗈𝖾𝗌𝗍𝗋𝗈𝗀𝖾𝗇𝗌 (𝗐𝖾 𝗁𝖺𝗏𝖾 𝗆𝗈𝗋𝖾 𝗍𝗁𝖺𝗇 𝗃𝗎𝗌𝗍 𝖤𝟤), 𝗍𝖾𝗌𝗍𝗈𝗌𝗍𝖾𝗋𝗈𝗇𝖾, 𝗈𝗍𝗁𝖾𝗋 𝖺𝗇𝖽𝗋𝗈𝗀𝖾𝗇𝗌 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝗌𝗍𝗋𝖾𝗌𝗌 𝗁𝗈𝗋𝗆𝗈𝗇𝖾𝗌 𝗌𝗎𝖼𝗁 𝖺𝗌 𝖣𝖧𝖤𝖠 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝖼𝗈𝗋𝗍𝗂𝗌𝗈𝗅.


𝖨𝗍 𝗂𝗌 𝖺𝗅𝗌𝗈 𝗂𝗆𝗉𝗈𝗋𝗍𝖺𝗇𝗍 𝗍𝗈 𝗎𝗇𝖽𝖾𝗋𝗌𝗍𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝗐𝗁𝖾𝗇 𝗍𝗈 𝗍𝖾𝗌𝗍 - 𝖫𝖧 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝖥𝖲𝖧 𝗌𝗁𝗈𝗎𝗅𝖽 𝖻𝖾 𝖼𝖺𝗋𝗋𝗂𝖾𝖽 𝖾𝖺𝗋𝗅𝗒 𝗂𝗇 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗆𝖾𝗇𝗌𝗍𝗋𝗎𝖺𝗅 𝖼𝗒𝖼𝗅𝖾 (between day 2-4), 𝗈𝖾𝗌𝗍𝗋𝗈𝗀𝖾𝗇𝗌 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝗉𝗋𝗈𝗀𝖾𝗌𝗍𝖾𝗋𝗈𝗇𝖾 𝗂𝗇 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗅𝗎𝗍𝖾𝖺𝗅 𝗉𝗁𝖺𝗌𝖾 (between day 19-21) 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗋𝖾𝗆𝖺𝗂𝗇𝖽𝖾𝗋 𝖼𝖺𝗇 𝖻𝖾 𝗍𝖾𝗌𝗍𝖾𝖽 𝖺𝗇𝗒𝗍𝗂𝗆𝖾.



Nutrient Testing

𝖨𝗌 𝗈𝖿𝗍𝖾𝗇 𝗈𝗏𝖾𝗋𝗅𝗈𝗈𝗄𝖾𝖽. 𝖨𝗆𝗉𝗈𝗋𝗍𝖺𝗇𝗍 𝗇𝗎𝗍𝗋𝗂𝖾𝗇𝗍𝗌 𝖿𝗈𝗋 𝖼𝗈𝗇𝖼𝖾𝗉𝗍𝗂𝗈𝗇 𝗂𝗇𝖼𝗅𝗎𝖽𝖾 𝖵𝗂𝗍𝖺𝗆𝗂𝗇 𝖣, 𝖨𝗈𝖽𝗂𝗇𝖾, 𝖨𝗋𝗈𝗇 𝗌𝗍𝗈𝗋𝖾𝗌, 𝖼𝗁𝗈𝗅𝖾𝗌𝗍𝖾𝗋𝗈𝗅 (𝗅𝗈𝗐 𝗅𝖾𝗏𝖾𝗅𝗌 𝖼𝖺𝗇 𝖻𝖾 𝖺𝗇 𝗂𝗌𝗌𝗎𝖾). Y𝗈𝗎𝗋 𝗀𝖾𝗇𝖾𝗋𝖺𝗅 𝖦𝖯 𝖻𝗅𝗈𝗈𝖽𝗌 w𝗂𝗅𝗅 𝗈𝖿𝗍𝖾𝗇 𝗀𝗂𝗏𝖾 𝖺𝗇 𝗂𝗇𝖽𝗂𝖼𝖺𝗍𝗂𝗈𝗇 𝗈𝖿 𝗆𝗂𝗇𝖾𝗋𝖺𝗅 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝗉𝗋𝗈𝗍𝖾𝗂𝗇 𝗌𝗍𝖺𝗍𝗎𝗌 𝗁𝗈𝗐𝖾𝗏𝖾𝗋 this 𝗂𝗇𝖿𝗈𝗋𝗆𝖺𝗍𝗂𝗈𝗇 𝗂𝗌 often 𝗈𝗇𝗅𝗒 𝗅𝗈𝗈𝗄𝖾𝖽 𝖺𝗍 or interpreted in a fertility context 𝖻𝗒 𝗍𝗁𝗈𝗌𝖾 𝗐𝗂𝗍𝗁 𝗇𝗎𝗍𝗋𝗂𝗍𝗂𝗈𝗇𝖺𝗅 𝗉𝖺𝗍𝗁𝗈𝗅𝗈𝗀𝗒 𝗍𝗋𝖺𝗂𝗇𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝗌𝗎𝖼𝗁 𝖺𝗌 𝗇𝖺𝗍𝗎𝗋𝗈𝗉𝖺𝗍𝗁𝗌 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝗇𝗎𝗍𝗋𝗂𝗍𝗂𝗈𝗇𝗂𝗌𝗍𝗌 𝗈𝗋 𝗂𝗇𝗍𝖾𝗀𝗋𝖺𝗍𝗂𝗏𝖾 𝖦𝖯'𝗌 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝗌𝗉𝖾𝖼𝗂𝖺𝗅𝗂𝗌𝗍𝗌 𝗐𝗁𝗈 𝗁𝖺𝗏𝖾 𝗎𝗇𝖽𝖾𝗋𝗀𝗈𝗇𝖾 similar additional 𝗇𝗎𝗍𝗋𝗂𝗍𝗂𝗈𝗇𝖺𝗅 𝗌𝖼𝗂𝖾𝗇𝖼𝖾 𝗍𝗋𝖺𝗂𝗇𝗂𝗇𝗀.




What about AMH?

Anti-Mullerian Hormone is an indicator of egg count which can be useful, but also unnecessarily stress provoking. This is commonly looked at by your GP or Ob-Gyn and naturally lowers as we get older. The main take home I give couples in relation to this is that yes, a lower number can indicate a lower egg count, however firstly - this number can change and can even fluctuate with factors such as stress so an AMH one month may be slightly different to an AMH carried out another month. And secondly, egg quality over quantity. If this number is low, then focusing on improving egg quality with diet and lifestyle adjustments and the inclusion of nutrients such as CoQ10 or Ubiquinol, NAC and zinc will be higher up on the list.


Other testing options -

Advanced hormone testing options include DUTCH testing and extensive Saliva Hormones panels, often in conjunction with standard serum testing and do incur out-of-pocket fees.


Most of the nutrients suggested can also be looked at in standard tests however Vitamin D and iodine may often incur an addition cost at your pathology collection as they are not always Medicare covered.


If conditions such as PCOS, endometriosis or thyroid disease are suspected to be influencing conception then the testing will be different again.



Emma xx



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