Hormone markers and home blood draws
Hormone markers are measured from a blood sample taken from a vein. This page explains what the markers reflect and what having the sample taken at home involves.
What these markers reflect
They relate to the endocrine system, the glands that make hormones, and to reproductive health.
- Oestradiol
- The main form of oestrogen, made mostly by the ovaries and in smaller amounts elsewhere in the body.
- Progesterone
- A hormone made mainly by the ovaries in the second half of the menstrual cycle.
- Testosterone
- A sex hormone made by the testes and, in smaller amounts, by the ovaries and adrenal glands.
- LH and FSH
- Hormones made by the pituitary gland that signal to the ovaries or testes.
- Prolactin
- A hormone made by the pituitary gland, best known for its role in milk production.
- SHBG
- Sex hormone-binding globulin, a protein that carries sex hormones in the blood.
Some hormone levels change across the day or the menstrual cycle, so the clinician or service that requested the test may ask for the sample at a particular time. What your own results mean is for them.
What a home blood draw involves
- The healthcare provider that ordered the test arranges the visit and tells you how to prepare.
- A phlebotomist comes to your address and takes a blood sample from a vein in your arm.
- The sample is labelled and sent to the laboratory that provider uses.
- Your results, and what they mean for you, come from that provider.
Where Lola Dispatch fits
Lola Dispatch is a platform healthcare businesses use to send phlebotomists to their patients. It does not sell blood tests and does not take bookings from the public. If you are a patient, please contact the provider that ordered your test.
Access for businesses is by invitation. Before a phlebotomist can take jobs, Lola staff review their DBS certificate, phlebotomy qualification, insurance, ID and right to work.
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