Luteinizing Hormone (LH)
LH is a pituitary hormone that triggers ovulation in women and stimulates testosterone production in men. Abnormal levels help diagnose fertility issues, PCOS, and pituitary disorders.
12 hours
Turnaround
Blood
Sample
What the Luteinizing Hormone (LH) test tells you
Luteinizing hormone, LH on a report, comes from the same part of the pituitary gland as FSH and works in partnership with it. Where FSH is largely about growing the follicle or supporting sperm production, LH is the trigger and the driver of hormone output. In women a sharp surge of LH in the middle of the cycle is what releases the mature egg, and afterwards LH sustains the corpus luteum, the temporary structure that produces progesterone. In men LH acts on the Leydig cells in the testes, instructing them to make testosterone, so a man's testosterone level cannot be interpreted properly without knowing what LH is doing.
Because LH is a signal rather than an end product, its value lies in the pattern it forms with FSH and with the sex hormone being driven. A raised LH alongside a low sex hormone generally indicates that the ovary or testis is not responding and the pituitary is compensating. A low LH with a low sex hormone shifts attention upstream, to the pituitary or the hypothalamus that governs it. In polycystic ovary syndrome the classic picture is an LH that is disproportionately high relative to FSH, although this pattern is common rather than universal and is never the sole basis for that diagnosis.
The mid-cycle surge is short-lived and dramatic, which is both what makes LH useful and what makes it easy to misread. A sample taken during the surge can look strikingly high in a woman whose cycle is entirely ordinary. This is why an LH drawn to investigate irregular or absent periods, suspected PCOS, or ovarian reserve is conventionally taken in the first few days of the cycle, where the reading is stable and comparable. Where cycles are irregular or have stopped, and after menopause, that convention no longer applies and your doctor will simply say when to come. Home ovulation kits work on the opposite principle — they are looking for the surge itself.
Evaluating infertility, menstrual irregularities, suspected PCOS, delayed puberty, and monitoring ovulation in fertility treatment cycles.
The mid-cycle LH surge is what releases the egg, so tracking LH helps establish whether ovulation is happening and when.
Measured early in the cycle alongside FSH, LH helps distinguish polycystic ovary syndrome from ovarian insufficiency and from a pituitary cause.
LH shows whether low testosterone comes from the testes failing to respond or from the pituitary failing to send the instruction.
LH is monitored during stimulation cycles to time egg collection or insemination and to detect a surge occurring earlier than planned.
Reasons your doctor may request the Luteinizing Hormone (LH) test
Your doctor may order this test for any of the reasons below. Some are routine checks, others follow specific symptoms or an earlier result.
Periods & low testosterone
Periods that are irregular, infrequent or absent, particularly where PCOS is being considered.
Low testosterone, reduced libido or loss of body hair in a man.
Fertility & ovulation timing
Difficulty conceiving, as part of an early-cycle hormone panel with FSH and estradiol.
Timing of ovulation during a monitored fertility treatment cycle.
Puberty & pituitary disease
Puberty that is delayed, or signs of puberty appearing unusually early in a child.
Known or suspected pituitary disease, including follow-up after treatment.
No fasting window — pick any slot that suits you, online or on WhatsApp.
A DHA-licensed nurse collects your sample at home or in the office — free home collection.
A physician-reviewed, easy-to-read report lands securely by WhatsApp and email.
LH regulates ovulation and testosterone; varies by sex and cycle.
Ranges are a guide — your physician interprets your result alongside your symptoms and history.
What a higher result can point to
- The normal mid-cycle surge, which is brief, expected and not a disorder — the reason cycle day must always be recorded.
- Menopause or primary ovarian insufficiency, where the pituitary pushes harder because the ovary no longer answers.
- Primary testicular failure in men, whether genetic, following infection, injury, or cancer treatment.
- Polycystic ovary syndrome, which often shows an LH that is high relative to FSH, though not in everyone with the condition.
- Removal of the ovaries or testes, which lifts the feedback that normally restrains LH.
What a lower result can point to
- Pituitary damage from a tumour, surgery, radiotherapy or head injury.
- Hypothalamic suppression from very low body weight, disordered eating, heavy training, severe stress or significant illness.
- Raised prolactin, which interrupts the pulsed signal that LH release depends on.
- Testosterone therapy, anabolic steroid use or combined hormonal contraception, all of which suppress the pituitary deliberately or as a side effect.
- A congenital absence of the hypothalamic signal, which typically presents as puberty that does not begin.
These are possibilities, not diagnoses. A single value outside the reference range is interpreted alongside your symptoms, history and other tests — your doctor decides what it means for you.
What this test cannot tell you
- In a menstruating woman the result is uninterpretable without the cycle day, because a sample taken during the mid-cycle surge is naturally many times higher than one taken a few days either side.
- LH is released in pulses through the day, so a single measurement captures one point on a fluctuating curve.
- The LH pattern seen in polycystic ovary syndrome is supportive rather than diagnostic; the condition is diagnosed on symptoms, ultrasound and other hormones together.
- Hormonal contraception suppresses LH, so results taken while using it say nothing about underlying ovarian function.
Risks of the blood draw
- Mild bruising or brief soreness where the needle went in.
- Occasional lightheadedness, which settles after a few minutes of rest.
- Bleeding or infection at the site, which is rare with sterile single-use equipment.
- 1LH triggers ovulation in women and drives testosterone production in men.
- 2Cycle timing is essential: for irregular periods, suspected PCOS or ovarian reserve, the sample is conventionally taken in the first few days of the cycle.
- 3A single high LH may simply be the ordinary mid-cycle surge, which is why the date of your last period must be recorded.
- 4If your cycles are irregular or have stopped, or you are past menopause, the usual timing rules do not apply and your doctor will advise.
- 5LH is always read alongside FSH and the relevant sex hormone, never alone.
Frequently Asked Questions
Everything you need to know about the Luteinizing Hormone (LH) test. Can't find what you're looking for?
Talk to our team→Not necessarily. LH surges sharply for a short window in the middle of a normal cycle, so a sample taken then reads high in a woman whose cycle is completely ordinary. This is why the day of your cycle is recorded with the result, and why the test is usually repeated at a defined point rather than acted on immediately.
Home kits detect the same hormone in urine and are designed to catch the surge, which signals that ovulation is likely in the next day or so. A blood LH measures the level precisely and is usually used for a different purpose — assessing the baseline early in the cycle rather than predicting a single event.
Many people with PCOS show an LH that is high in relation to FSH, so the two together add weight to the picture. It is supporting evidence only. The diagnosis rests on the pattern of periods, signs of excess androgen, ultrasound findings and the exclusion of other causes.
It suggests the testes are capable but are not receiving the instruction, which shifts attention to the pituitary and hypothalamus. A high LH with low testosterone points the other way, to the testes themselves. Your doctor uses the combination, not either result alone.
LH is a pituitary hormone that triggers ovulation in women and stimulates testosterone production in men. Abnormal levels help diagnose fertility issues, PCOS, and pituitary disorders.
Evaluating infertility, menstrual irregularities, suspected PCOS, delayed puberty, and monitoring ovulation in fertility treatment cycles.
No, fasting is not required for the Fertility Hormone (LH) test, so you can eat and drink normally beforehand.
The Fertility Hormone (LH) test uses a blood sample, collected quickly by our DHA-licensed phlebotomist with minimal discomfort.
Results for the Fertility Hormone (LH) test are typically ready within 12 hours. You will receive a secure digital report, and your Smart Report highlights anything outside the normal range.
The Fertility Hormone (LH) test is AED 219, which includes free home sample collection and a physician-reviewed report. You can also build a custom panel and pay only for the markers you choose.
Yes. A DHA-licensed phlebotomist can collect your sample at home or the office anywhere in Dubai at no extra cost, 7 days a week. See how it works.
It is commonly chosen by adults planning a family. If you are not sure it is right for you, our care team is happy to advise.
Add the Fertility Hormone (LH) test to your cart and complete the short booking wizard, choosing home collection or a lab visit. Guest checkout lets you book without creating an account.
Yes. It is processed at our EIAC-accredited laboratory (ISO 15189:2022) under DHA license 0046381 and verified by board-certified pathologists.
Every report includes reference ranges and plain-language notes. If you have questions, our care team can arrange a clinician review — just get in touch.
Absolutely. Add it to a curated health package or bundle it with any of our 160+ biomarkers, often from a single sample in one visit.