Follicle Stimulating Hormone (fsh)

A Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH) test measures the level of FSH in your blood. FSH is a hormone produced by the pituitary gland that plays a key role in reproductive health. In women, it helps regulate the menstrual cycle and stimulates the growth of ovarian follicles, which contain eggs. In men, FSH is involved in the production of sperm.

 

This test measures the level of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) in a sample of your blood. A hormone is a chemical messenger in your bloodstream that controls the actions of certain cells or organs. FSH plays an important role in sexual development in children and fertility in adults.

• In women who menstruate(have periods), FSH helps control the menstrual cycle. It triggers the growth of eggs in the ovaries and gets the eggs ready for ovulation. Ovulation is when an ovary releases an egg so it can travel down a fallopian tube where it can be fertilized by sperm.
• In men, FSH helps control the amount of sperm that the testicles (testes) make. It also affects how healthy the sperm are.
• In children, FSH levels are normally low until puberty Then FSH levels begin to rise along with the levels of other hormones. The increase in all these hormones triggers the physical changes of puberty:
  • In girls, FSH tells the ovaries to start making the hormone estrogen. Estrogen is involved in the growth of breasts, body hair, and menstruation.
  • In boys, FSH tells the testicles to start making the hormone testosterone. Testosterone is involved in the growth of facial and body hair, changes in a boy's voice, and sperm production.

 

FSH test may be ordered in various situations including:  

1. To determine the cause of infertility in women and men
2. To determine the cause of irregular or absent periods
3. To diagnose PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome), FSH levels are changed even in case of an ovarian tumor
4. To determine perimenopause or menopause.
5. To find out the cause of low sex drive both in men and women
6. To determine the cause of low sperm count in men
7. To determine cause of early or delayed puberty in children

(In girls, puberty is considered early if it starts before age 9 and delayed if it hasn’t started by age 13. In boys, it is considered early if puberty starts before 10 and delayed if it hasn’t started by age 14. Delayed puberty may be caused by Turner syndrome in girls and Klinefelter Syndrome in boys)

Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) is a hormone associated with reproduction and the development of eggs in women and sperm in men. This test measures FSH in the blood.

FSH is made by the pituitary gland, a small organ located in the center of the head behind the sinus cavity at the base of the brain. Control of FSH production is a complex system involving the hypothalamus in the brain, the pituitary gland, and the hormones produced by the ovaries or testicles.

The hypothalamus releases gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH), which stimulates the pituitary to release FSH and luteinizing hormone (LH), a closely-related hormone involved in reproduction.

Disorders affecting the hypothalamus, pituitary, and/or the ovaries or testicles can cause the production of too much or too little FSH, resulting in various conditions such as infertility, abnormal menstrual cycles, or early (precocious) or delayed puberty