How can we help?

Some say it’s just a way for clinics to make money and that it’s not routinely recommended.
Others say there’s no clear evidence about what levels are “right” or “wrong.”
Many other women complain they can’t get a test done even if they want to pay premium for it because their doctor won’t listen and won’t order it.
And finally, others say that if they do blood test, no one really explains the results to them.

No wonder it feels confusing—every influencer online seems to be an expert and have a different opinion! So, who should you trust, and who is right?

Let’s break it down together and answer some of the common questions.

The truth is that guidelines often aim for generalisable recommendations and national health systems must focus on what is safe, cost-effective, and widely applicable. That often means a “one-size-fits-most” approach. In private settings, we follow guidelines and the best available evidence, however, we can be more flexible and individualise care. Specialists in a specific field are often more up to date with the latest research while it can take many years for guidelines to be revised. And specialists can read nuances in the results that a general practitioner may not focus on.

It’s also important to remember that hormones are just one piece of the puzzle. Especially in midlife, your overall health depends on many factors, like vitamin and mineral levels, insulin resistance, cholesterol, and thyroid function. Looking at the whole picture is essential for a truly holistic approach.

Who needs testing hormones? Here are some possible scenarios:

Anna, 30 y old, regular cycles, feels well and have no concerns: If you’re premenopausal and symptom-free, most probably your hormones are working just fine! No need to do expensive tests looking at metabolites with no clinical significance!

Alice, 48 y old, irregular cycles, symptoms like breast tenderness, PMS, fatigue, low libido: Welcome to perimenopause, the hormonal equivalent of puberty! Reproductive hormones fluctuate wildly, so testing estradiol and progesterone won’t give reliable answers. Probably will come back in “normal” range! Treatment is based mostly on symptoms, not on those specific hormones levels. However, blood in this case should be done, to check for anaemia or other deficiency that could contribute to fatigue (and common in perimenopause with those heavy bleedings!). Thyroid function might contribute to irregular periods and testosterone levels should also be checked if low libido, fatigue, or muscle loss are present.

Amalia, 59 y old, no periods for 2 years, insomnia, osteopenia, brain fog: We know you are in post-menopause and that estrogen and progesterone have already dropped, no need confirmation from a blood test! But, with menopause other metabolic changes occur, and suddenly we see cholesterol, HBA1C and inflammation spikes. How is your vitamin D to support those bones? And if you are interested in starting hormone therapy or you are already on it, labs can guide treatment avoiding delays in symptoms resolution and complications if being under or overdosing.

The Bottom Line

Hormone testing is never one-size-fits-all. The value depends on age, symptoms, goal, medications, time in the cycle and the answer you are looking for. Done correctly can be very powerful, it’s less about collecting numbers and more about reading clues in the broader context of the whole you and tailoring a personalized plan to optimize your health. These can include lifestyle and diet changes, medications and supplements.

Interpretation against every single story is the key, and experience and interpretation are essentials!