FSH test: normal levels, what results mean and price in the UAE

An FSH test measures follicle-stimulating hormone in a blood sample. FSH is the pituitary hormone that grows eggs in the ovaries and keeps sperm production going in the testes. It is used to look into irregular periods, fertility questions and the approach of menopause, and it is read with LH, age and the day of the cycle.

What FSH does

FSH is made by the pituitary gland at the base of the brain, on instructions from the hypothalamus. In women who have periods, it triggers the growth of eggs in the ovaries each month and gets them ready for ovulation. In men, it helps control how much sperm the testes make, and how healthy the sperm are. The ovaries and testes answer with sex hormones that feed back and tell the pituitary when to ease off.

That feedback explains most of what an FSH result shows. When the ovaries or testes respond less, the pituitary pushes harder and FSH rises. When the pituitary or hypothalamus sends less signal, FSH falls. As MedlinePlus puts it for the years around menopause, as the ovaries release fewer eggs, the body makes more hormone to try to trigger ovulation.

Normal FSH levels

FSH is reported in international units per litre (IU/L), which gives the same number as mIU/mL. MedlinePlus, the US National Library of Medicine's health information service, publishes these adult ranges:

The range for women with periods is wide because FSH changes through the month, so the day of the cycle matters when a result is read. Children's values are much lower until puberty. Ranges vary with the laboratory, the method, age and sex, so read your result against the range printed on your own report.

What a high FSH usually points to

A high FSH most often means the ovaries or testes are making sex hormones at a lower rate than usual, so the pituitary is turning up its signal.

• Perimenopause and menopause. From about 45, a rising FSH is an expected part of the change. NICE advises that perimenopause and menopause are identified without blood tests in otherwise healthy women over 45 with typical symptoms, and suggests FSH can help confirm menopause between 40 and 45, and under 40 when it is suspected.
• Premature ovarian insufficiency. Under 40, a high FSH together with missed or infrequent periods is how premature ovarian insufficiency is recognised. A 2024 international guideline from the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE) and partner societies uses at least 4 months of irregular or absent periods together with one FSH above 25 IU/L, with a repeat test or AMH where the picture is unclear. NICE's guideline asks for two raised results taken 4 to 6 weeks apart.
• Other causes in women. MedlinePlus also lists Turner syndrome, thyroid or adrenal disorders, and damage to the ovaries from autoimmune disease, chemotherapy or radiotherapy.
• In men. A high FSH can reflect damage to the testes from alcohol overuse, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, injury or past mumps, or a genetic condition such as Klinefelter syndrome. It is one of the tests used when a low sperm count is being looked into.

A doctor reading a high FSH usually looks at LH and estradiol, or testosterone in men, beside it, and at the cycle day and symptoms, before drawing any conclusion.

What a low FSH usually points to

A low FSH usually means the pituitary or hypothalamus is sending less signal. In women, MedlinePlus links it with a very low body weight, recent rapid weight loss or intense exercise, and with cycles in which no egg is released. FSH is also low in pregnancy. In men, a low FSH points to the same pituitary or hypothalamic causes. A doctor will usually read it with LH, prolactin and estradiol or testosterone, and ask about weight, training and medicines.

What moves FSH

• Cycle day. FSH changes through the month, which is why a doctor may ask for the sample on a particular day.
• Age. FSH is low before puberty and rises through perimenopause into menopause.
• Hormonal contraception and hormone treatment. NICE advises against using an FSH test to identify menopause in people taking combined oestrogen and progestogen contraception or high-dose progestogen. Hormone treatment can also change FSH in both sexes.
• Weight and training. Rapid weight loss, a very low weight and intense exercise can lower FSH.
• Biotin. Many hormone tests use biotin in their chemistry. In a small study, a biotin dose found in over-the-counter supplements made some of these tests read falsely high or falsely low.

Preparing for the test

If you have periods, your doctor may want the sample on a particular day of the cycle. Whenever it is taken, note the date your last period started, so the result can be read against the right phase. Mention any hormonal contraception, hormone treatment or biotin supplement to the person taking the sample, and keep taking prescribed medicines unless your doctor has said otherwise.

How Clare's panel handles FSH

In Clare's panel, FSH is measured by the lab. It sits beside LH, estradiol, prolactin, total testosterone, SHBG and DHEA-S, so the hormones FSH is usually read with are in the same panel.

Why it matters in the UAE

A population survey of 742 UAE women aged 40 and over, published in 1998, found a median age at natural menopause of 48 years, against 50.3 years reported from Western countries. NICE's 2024 update also notes that people from some ethnic minority backgrounds may reach menopause younger. If menopause comes a little earlier, so do the years in which FSH starts to climb. The UAE survey is now more than 25 years old, so treat the figure as a guide.

Price

When we read public prices on 11 October 2026, an FSH test on its own cost from 40 to 90 at 2 UAE providers. FSH is also sold within female hormone packages, which cost from 289 to 1,800 at 10 providers. VAT was rarely stated, some package prices were offers or "from" prices, and home collection can add a fee, particularly on small orders that do not include a package.

Related tests

FSH is read with Luteinizing Hormone (LH), Estradiol (E2) and, in men, Total Testosterone, and all of them are part of the Female hormone test. For where hormones sit in a full panel, see our guide to a comprehensive blood test in Dubai.

Why FSH means more over time

FSH moves with the cycle, so one result is rarely the whole answer, and NICE's two-sample rule for premature ovarian insufficiency reflects that. A series of FSH results, with LH and estradiol beside them, shows the direction things are moving far better than a single number, whether that is a steady rise through the forties or a value that settles back on a repeat. Clare is opening with a waitlist at clare.health.