LH test: normal levels by cycle phase, what results mean and price

An LH test measures luteinising hormone in a blood sample. LH is a pituitary hormone that runs the menstrual cycle and triggers ovulation in women, and tells the testes to make testosterone in men. Because LH moves a great deal through the month, the number means most when it is read against your age, sex, cycle day and FSH result.

What LH does

LH is made by the pituitary gland at the base of the brain. The hypothalamus, just above it, sets how much the pituitary releases, and the sex hormones made by the ovaries or testes feed back to tell both when to slow down.

In women who have periods, LH helps control the cycle. It rises quickly just before ovulation, and that surge is what releases an egg from the ovary. In men, LH drives the testes to make testosterone, which sperm production depends on, and the level normally changes little from day to day. LH works closely with follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), which is why the two are usually measured together.

Normal LH levels

LH is reported in international units per litre (IU/L), which gives the same number as mIU/mL. These are the reference ranges published by MedlinePlus, the US National Library of Medicine's health information service:

Because the phase of the cycle matters so much, ranges can also be split by phase. In a 2021 study that sampled 85 women with regular cycles through one full cycle on a widely used automated assay, 90% of values fell inside these bands:

Children have low LH until the years before puberty. Ranges differ between laboratories, methods, ages and sexes, so the range printed on your own report is the one to read your result against.

What a high LH usually points to

In women with periods, a high LH around mid-cycle is the expected ovulation surge. A level that stays high across the month suggests the ovaries are not responding to the signal as they should. MedlinePlus lists the usual reasons as primary ovarian insufficiency, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), thyroid or adrenal disorders and, rarely, chromosomal conditions such as Turner syndrome. From about 45, a rising LH more often reflects the approach of menopause, and after menopause a high LH is the normal state.

LH can be raised in PCOS, but it is not part of how PCOS is diagnosed. The 2023 international PCOS guideline diagnoses it on two of three features (irregular cycles, excess androgens seen in blood results or as signs such as excess hair, and polycystic ovaries on ultrasound or a raised AMH) once other causes have been ruled out, and it names TSH, prolactin, 17-hydroxyprogesterone and FSH as the usual tests for ruling them out.

In men, a high LH with a low testosterone points towards the testes themselves, a pattern called primary hypogonadism. The Endocrine Society's guideline on testosterone recommends measuring LH and FSH for this reason, to tell a testicular cause apart from a pituitary one. Causes MedlinePlus lists include injury to the testes, past mumps and genetic conditions such as Klinefelter syndrome.

A doctor looking at a high LH usually reads it beside FSH and estradiol or testosterone, asks where you were in your cycle, and may repeat the test on a set day.

What a low LH usually points to

A low LH in an adult is most often a sign that the pituitary gland or the hypothalamus is sending a weaker signal than usual. In women, low LH and FSH together with missed periods can follow very intense exercise, undereating, stress or a very low body weight, and the PCOS guideline names low body fat and intensive exercise as the usual reasons for this pattern. Contraceptive pills, hormone therapy and testosterone can also change the result.

In men, a low or low-normal LH alongside a low testosterone is the pattern of secondary hypogonadism, where the cause sits in the pituitary or hypothalamus. The Endocrine Society guideline advises that doctors then measure prolactin and iron saturation.

What moves LH

• Cycle day. For women with periods this is the largest factor: the surge around ovulation can be several times the follicular level.
• Age. LH is low in childhood, rises through puberty and climbs again as menopause approaches.
• Hormonal medicines. Contraceptive pills, hormone therapy, testosterone and DHEA supplements can all affect the result.
• 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, a doctor may ask for the sample on a particular day of your cycle, because LH changes through the month. Whenever the sample is taken, note the date your last period started, so the result can be read against the right phase. Tell the person taking the sample about any hormonal contraception, hormone therapy, testosterone, DHEA or biotin you take. Do not stop a prescribed medicine for a test unless your doctor has told you to.

How Clare's panel handles LH

In Clare's panel, LH is measured by the lab. It sits beside FSH, estradiol, prolactin, total testosterone, SHBG and DHEA-S, the hormones a doctor would want in front of them to make sense of an LH result.

Why it matters in the UAE

LH often comes up when irregular cycles and PCOS are being looked into, and how common PCOS is in the UAE is not well measured. A review of five years of records at a large Dubai women's hospital found a PCOS diagnosis code for 1.6% of 64,722 women aged 15 to 45, while an earlier survey of 512 Emirati university students, based on self-reported diagnosis, found 13%. The Dubai authors note that UAE studies using objective criteria are hard to find.

Price

When we read public prices on 11 October 2026, an LH test on its own cost from 60 to 90 at 2 UAE providers. LH 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

LH is read with Follicle-Stimulating Hormone (FSH), Estradiol (E2) and Prolactin, and in men with Total Testosterone. The Female hormone test and the Testosterone test bring these together. Our guide to a comprehensive blood test in Dubai explains where hormones fit in a wider panel.

Why LH means more over time

One LH result is a snapshot of a hormone that moves by the day. A doctor may repeat it with FSH, on a known cycle day where periods are regular, before reading much into it. A pattern across two or three results, such as LH and FSH climbing together through the forties, or LH staying high across the month, says far more than any single value. Clare is opening with a waitlist at clare.health.