In the hormone test kit, a form is provided where you may indicate what two hormones you would like to have tested. Testing more than two hormones is also available.

Hormones Tested

• Estradiol
• Estriol
• Estrone
• Progesterone
• Testosterone
• DHEA-S
• Androstenedione
• Cortisol AM only
• Cortisol AM/PM

The usual way to test hormone levels has been with a blood test that measures the blood serum or blood plasma content of the hormones. These tests have been somewhat unreliable because they do not give your biologically active hormone levels. Saliva testing is quicker, less expensive, and less painful than blood tests, and is a reliable way for you or your doctor to measure hormone levels and test for hormone deficiencies.

Protein-bound progesterone is more soluble in the watery component of the blood. While protein-bound, only a small percentage of the hormone is active. This is also true of estrogen, testosterone, and the corticosteriods. For this reason, blood serum concentration of these hormones is not an accurate measure of the amount of active hormone in the body because it misses the larger amount that is riding on red blood cell membranes.

Blood tests measure protein-bound hormone. Transdermally absorbed progesterone is not protein-bound but is most certainly biologically active. It’s riding around in the bloodstream on red blood cell membranes and other fat-soluble constituents of the blood. Blood testing for progesterone levels simply isn’t a reliable measure. A far better test for bioavailable progesterone (and other steroid hormones) is by saliva assay. The World Health Organization has been using the saliva assay with good results for over five years.

Saliva testing can be used to determine your current hormonal state as well as monitor your supplementation with our natural hormone products. The optimum hormone levels to have tested are: progesterone, estradiol, DHEA, testosterone and coritsol. If you only wish to test the minimum hormones then you would test for: estradiol and progesterone.

Timing of when to take a saliva sample for testing is crucial. For menstruating women, the test needs to be performed in the luteal phase (the later half of the menstrual cycle). In a normal 28 day menstrual cycle, this is usually about one week before the menstrual period, or days 19-21 of the cycle, counting the first day of your menses as day #1 of the cycle. Men and Postmenopausal women not taking hormones can take the test at any time during the month. Women taking hormones should be tested towards the end of a hormone treatment cycle.

The test results will be sent directly back to you. We are available to assist you with any questions that you may have regarding your results.