Estrogen Levels Test

An estrogen test measures the level of estrogens in a sample of your blood, urine (pee), or saliva (spit). Estrogens are a group of hormones that play a key role in female reproductive health, including puberty, menstruation, pregnancy, and menopause. However, estrogens are also important for more general bodily functions in both males and females, including: Healthy cholesterol and blood sugar levels.; Bone and muscle strength.; Brain functions such as the ability to focus.; There are many types of estrogen, but only three types are commonly tested: Estrone, also called E1, is the weakest of the three types and is made mostly by body fat and the adrenal glands (glands that sit on top of each kidney) in males and females.

In females, the ovaries (the glands that contain eggs) also make estrone. Estrone is the only type of estrogen that females continue to make after menopause.; Estradiol, also called E2, is the main estrogen in nonpregnant females of childbearing age. It's mostly made in the ovaries and makes pregnancy possible by helping to release an egg each menstrual cycle and by thickening the lining of the uterus (the place where a fetus grows).

It also helps support brain and bone health. Males make small amounts of this estrogen in the testicles (the glands that make sperm).; Estriol, also called E3, is an estrogen that increases during pregnancy. It's made in the placenta (the organ that grows in the uterus to provide nutrients and oxygen to the fetus).

It helps your body prepare for breastfeeding and the birthing process. Males and nonpregnant females have very low levels of this estrogen.; Though estrogen levels depend on many factors, including sex and age, levels that stay too high or too low may be a sign of a health problem.

Why this test is done

If you are female, you may need estrogen testing if you:

• Have signs of early or delayed puberty such as the development of breasts, body hair, and widened hips before the age of 8 or after the age of 13.
• Are of childbearing age and have abnormal periods or no periods at all.
• Are unable to get pregnant after a year of trying.
• Have a high-risk pregnancy.
• Have symptoms of menopause, including hot flashes and/or night sweats.
• Use hormone replacement therapy after menopause.
• Have vaginal bleeding after menopause.

If you're pregnant, you may have an estriol test between weeks 15 and 20 of your pregnancy. The test may be part of a group of prenatal tests called a triple screen test or a quad screening test, which are used to  check whether your fetus has a high risk for a genetic birth defect such as Down syndrome. You may be more likely to have a baby with a birth defect if you:

• Have a family history of birth defects.
• Are age 35 or older.
• Have diabetes.
• Have had a viral infection during pregnancy.

If you are male, you may need estrogen testing if you have:

• Signs of late puberty, such as delayed development of muscle mass and growth of testicles and penis.
• Enlarged breasts or other symptoms of too much estrogen.

How to prepare

You may need to stop taking certain supplements and medicines, such as the birth control pill and hormone replacement therapy, before this test. Tell your provider about everything you take, but don't stop taking any medicines unless your provider tells you to.

Sample type

Blood Urine Saliva

Other names for this test

estradiol test, estrone (E1), estradiol (E2), estriol (E3), estrogenic hormone test