16/10/2025
Follicle-Stimulating Hormone (FSH)
Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) is a hormone that plays a significant role in s*xual development and reproduction by affecting the function of the ovaries and te**es. It works alongside luteinizing hormone (LH).
What is follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH)?
Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) is a hormone your pituitary gland makes and releases that plays a role in s*xual development and reproduction. It affects the function of ovaries and testicles.
Despite its name, follicle-stimulating hormone doesn’t directly affect your hair follicles or hair growth. A special group of hormones called androgens affects hair growth. FSH got its name due to its effect on ovarian follicles, which are small sacs filled with fluid that contain egg cells in the ovaries.
Hormones are chemicals that coordinate different functions in your body by carrying messages through your blood to your organs, muscles and other tissues. These signals tell your body what to do and when to do it.
What is the function of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH)?
Follicle-stimulating hormone is an important hormone that has a few different functions depending on the type of s*xual organs (go**ds) you have and your age.
FSH function in fetal development
In the second and third trimesters of pregnancy (week 13 to the end of week 26 and week 27 to the end of the pregnancy, respectively), the fetus’s pituitary gland releases FSH and luteinizing hormone (LH).
These hormone levels peak midpregnancy as the first ovarian follicle or seminiferous tubule (coiled tubules within the te**es) mature in the fetus.
FSH function during puberty
FSH levels are normally low in children. As puberty approaches (usually between ages 10 and 14), the hypothalamus produces gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH), which triggers FSH and LH. This begins the changes toward s*xual maturity and development.
In males, FSH and LH work together to trigger their te**es to begin producing testosterone. This is the hormone responsible for the physical changes of puberty (such as body hair growth and voice deepening) and the production of s***m.
In females, FSH and LH trigger their ovaries to begin producing estrogen. This hormone is responsible for physical changes of puberty, like breast development and menstruation.
FSH function in menstruating females
For females who menstruate, FSH’s main function is to help regulate the menstrual cycle. Specifically, FSH stimulates follicles on the o***y to grow and prepare the eggs for ovulation. As the follicles increase in size, they begin to release estrogen and a low level of progesterone into your blood.
Ovulation is a phase in the menstrual cycle. It occurs on about day 14 of a 28-day menstrual cycle. Specifically, ovulation is the release of the egg (o**m) from an o***y.
Each month, between days six and 14 of the menstrual cycle, FSH causes follicles in one of the ovaries to begin to mature. However, during days 10 to 14, only one of the developing follicles forms a fully mature egg. At about day 14 in the menstrual cycle, a sudden surge in LH causes the mature follicle to rupture and release its egg (ovulation).
cells in the te**es release, blocks FSH secretion as part of the feedback loop.
Again, any disruption or issue in this hormone release chain causes a lack of s*x hormones. This prevents normal s*xual development in children and normal function of the testicles or ovaries in adults.
What are normal FSH levels?
Normal follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) levels vary based on your age and s*x organs. It’s also important to remember that normal ranges for FSH levels can vary from lab to lab. Always reference the lab’s normal range on your blood test report. If you have any questions about your results, be sure to ask your healthcare provider.
Normal FSH levels for males
In general, normal FSH levels for males are:
Before puberty: 0 to 5.0 milli-international units per milliliter (mIU/mL).
During puberty: 0.3 to 10.0 mIU/mL.
Adult: 1.5 to 12.4 mIU/mL.
Normal FSH levels in females
In general, normal FSH levels for females are:
Before puberty: 0 to 4.0 mIU/mL.
During puberty: 0.3 to 10.0 mIU/mL.
After puberty: 4.7 to 21.5 mIU/mL.
After menopause: 25.8 to 134.8 mIU/mL.
What is a normal FSH level to get pregnant?
The timing for FSH testing for determining aspects of fertility is essential. FSH levels vary from day to day during your menstrual cycle. For basic fertility testing, you need to have the FSH blood test on day 3 of your menstrual cycle (day 1 is the day your period begins).
A study on day 3 FSH levels and in vitro fertilization (IVF) outcomes showed that people with day 3 FSH levels lower than 15 milli-international units per milliliter (mIU/mL) had a better chance of becoming pregnant with an IVF attempt when compared to people with FSH levels between 15 mIU/ml and 24.9 mIU/ml. For people with FSH levels over 25 mIU/ml, pregnancy rates per attempt were even lower.
It’s important to remember that several factors affect fertility — your FSH level isn’t the only determining factor. If you have questions about your fertility and becoming pregnant, ask your healthcare provider or a fertility specialist.
What conditions are associated with high FSH levels?
Most often, higher-than-normal levels of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) are a sign of an issue in the ovaries or te**es (go**ds).
If your go**ds can’t create enough estrogen, testosterone and/or inhibin, the correct feedback loop of FSH production from your pituitary gland is lost and the levels of both FSH and LH rise. This condition is called hypergonadotropic-hypogonadism, or primary hypogonadism, and is associated with primary ovarian insufficiency (POI) or testicular failure.
Primary hypogonadism can be congenital (you’re born with it) or result from other conditions (acquired).
Congenital forms of primary hypogonadism include:
Klinefelter syndrome in males.
Turner syndrome in females.
Androgen insensitivity syndrome.
Certain enzyme deficiencies (very rare).
Conditions and situations that can cause acquired primary hypogonadism include:
Gonadal toxins, such as radiation or chemotherapy.
Damage or injury to the ovaries or te**es.
S*x hormone decline with aging.
Certain autoimmune conditions.
Infections such as mumps.
In very rare cases, issues with the pituitary gland in females can raise FSH levels. This overwhelms the normal feedback loop and can sometimes cause ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome, which causes enlarged ovaries and a potentially dangerous accumulation of fluid in the abdomen.
Females naturally experience elevated FSH levels during menopause. This is normal.
For children, higher levels of FSH and LH than expected based on age — in addition to the development of secondary s*xual characteristics — are an indication of precocious (early) puberty. This is much more common in females. Puberty is considered early if it starts before age 9 in females and before age 10 in males.
What conditions are associated with low FSH levels?
Lower-than-normal FSH levels usually lead to incomplete development during puberty. They lead to poor ovarian or testicular function in adults, which can lead to infertility. This condition is called hypogonadotropic-hypogonadism, and it’s usually caused by issues with your pituitary gland or hypothalamus.
Pituitary gland issues that can cause low FSH levels
Hypopituitarism is a rare condition in which there’s a lack (deficiency) of one, multiple or all of the hormones your pituitary gland makes. Thus, hypopituitarism could potentially result in a lack of FSH.
Although it’s rare, many conditions and situations can cause hypopituitarism. In general, these three main factors can cause hypopituitarism:
Something is putting pressure on your pituitary gland or hypothalamus.
There’s damage to your pituitary or hypothalamus.
You have a rare condition that can cause hypopituitarism.
One of the most common causes of primary hypopituitarism is a pituitary adenoma. If the adenoma is of a certain size or is growing, it can put pressure on your pituitary gland or block blood flow to it.
Hypothalamus issues that can cause low FSH levels.
Kallmann syndrome is an inherited condition in which your hypothalamus doesn’t make enough gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH). Without enough GnRH, you have low levels of FSH and low levels of s*x hormones. Without treatment, a person with Kallmann syndrome won’t enter puberty and won’t be able to have biological children.
females include:
Loss of interest in s*x.
Fatigue.
Infertility, likely due to issues with ovulation.
Hot flashes.
Irregular menstruation or no menstrual periods.
Losing p***c hair.
What test measures FSH levels?
Your healthcare provider can check your follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) levels through a blood test. It involves using a needle to draw a blood sample from a vein in your arm.
Providers may order FSH blood tests for several reasons, and they may order additional hormone blood tests to help diagnose or rule out conditions, including:
Luteinizing hormone (LH).
Testosterone.
Estradiol and/or progesterone.
In general, these tests can help:
Determine the cause of infertility.
Diagnose conditions associated with dysfunction of the ovaries or testicles.
Aid in the diagnosis of pituitary or hypothalamus conditions, which can affect FSH production.
More specifically, for females, FSH blood tests can provide information for:
The investigation of menstrual irregularities (irregular periods).
Predicting when or if they’re entering menopause.
FSH blood tests can help determine the reason for a low s***m count.
For children, providers use FSH and LH blood tests to help diagnose delayed or early puberty.
When should I call my doctor about my FSH levels?
If you’re experiencing symptoms of hypogonadism, contact your healthcare provider.
If your child is entering puberty earlier or later than expected, contact their provider. They may run some simple blood tests to see if there’s an issue with their FSH levels.
If you’re having difficulty becoming pregnant, talk you your provider or a fertility specialist. While many factors can contribute to infertility, your FSH levels could be one of them.
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