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Female Hormone Profile
The Female Hormone Profile monitors changes in hormone status over the course or part of the menstrual cycle, by measuring the sex hormones.
Saliva specimens are collected on specified days of the month, according to the nature of the investigation, e.g. a full cycle profile for a pre-menopausal woman or the luteal phase only in premenopausal or peri-menopausal women.
For post menopausal women refer to the Baseline Hormone Profile.
The Female Hormone Profile provides valuable information on an individual’s hormonal status and the potential impact this may have on physical and emotional health.
Hormonal imbalance may result in a symptom picture which includes weight gain, mood swings, night sweats, disturbed sleep pattern, loss of libido and hot flushes.
Results obtained from the Female Hormone Profile make it possible for practitioners to individualise treatment in order to establish optimal hormone balance.
Testing can also be used to monitor the effects of bioidentical/natural hormone replacement therapy.
How is the Test Done?
Purchase test as you would any other product on The Spinal Centre by adding it to your shopping cart.
Once the transaction is completed The Spinal Centre will a collection bottle and instructions.
Using the appropriate envelope you send the specimen to our pathology centre.
Analysis of your sample is performed, raw test data is sent to The Spinal Centre and further evaluated along with your clinical profile.
An individual, comprehensive and in depth report is generated based on your case history outlining your test results and how to implement the changes to improve your health.
The Spinal Centre will of course provide continuing online support to help you implement your specific plan.
Why do we Recommend Saliva Testing over Blood Testing for Hormonal Levels?
Saliva testing has been used to measure hormones since the late 1960s and has many advantages over serum testing. The most significant feature of saliva testing is that it reflects the non-protein bound ‘free’ fraction of hormones at a given point of time.
As steroid hormones are predominantly bound to carrier proteins (cortisol binding protein, sex hormone binding globulin and albumin) in the blood, the unbound fraction is considered more readily available to the cells of the body. It is these ‘free’ hormones that best reflect a patient’s hormonally-related symptoms, rather than total or bound hormone levels (as measured in serum).
Furthermore, saliva testing effectively monitors the level of supplemented hormones as well as their absorption and utilisation. Studies indicate ‘salivary progesterone measurements confirm applied progesterone is being absorbed, despite the lack of change in serum progesterone’.
Therefore, saliva testing can influence supplementation dosages and determine if bio-identical hormone therapy is being absorbed.
Advantages of Saliva Testing:
- Saliva reflects the free, bio-available hormone levels (unlike blood which measures total levels)
- Baseline hormone levels can be assessed and bio-identical hormone replacement therapy can be easily monitored and adjusted
- Testing is suitable for both men and women
- Simple, painless, non-invasive, economical and can be done at home
- Specimens are sent direct to the laboratory without special handling
- Multiple saliva collections can be taken over a day or a number of weeks
- Hormones are stable in saliva at room temperature
- Transport to laboratory by overnight courier from anywhere in Australasia
More Information
For a sample ‘raw data’ report use the following link.
