# LH: The signal for ovulation and testosterone

> LH triggers ovulation in women and testosterone in men. Check your result by cycle phase, after menopause or as a man, and see what it means.

- Also called Luteinizing hormone and Lutropin
- Not on a standard checkup
- No fasting needed
- Web page: https://picardo.health/guides/biomarkers/lh

## The short answer

LH is a hormone from the brain that triggers ovulation in women and tells the testes to make testosterone in men. In women it surges just before ovulation, so a normal result depends on when you test: around ovulation, Labcorp’s range runs up to 95.6 mIU/mL.[1]

- **A normal result:** On Labcorp’s test, 2.4 to 12.6 mIU/mL early in the cycle, 14.0 to 95.6 around ovulation, 7.7 to 58.5 after menopause and 1.7 to 8.6 for men.[1]
- **If yours is high:** Mid-cycle, it’s usually the surge before ovulation. In a man with low testosterone, it means the testes aren’t responding. A high LH doesn’t diagnose PCOS.[1][2][9]
- **Should you test?** If your periods are irregular or have stopped, or you’re a man with low testosterone. To time ovulation, a urine kit is the usual tool, not a blood test.[4][5][7]

## What is a normal LH level?

LH changes a lot across the cycle and peaks sharply just before ovulation, so what’s normal depends on when you test. These are Labcorp’s ranges:[1]

Which fits you?

### Early in my cycle

| Result (mIU/mL) | What it means |
| --- | --- |
| Under 2.4 | Below the lab’s range |
| 2.4 to 12.6 | In the lab’s range |
| 12.7 or more | Above the lab’s range |

### Around ovulation

| Result (mIU/mL) | What it means |
| --- | --- |
| Under 14.0 | Below the lab’s range |
| 14.0 to 95.6 | In the lab’s range |
| 95.7 or more | Above the lab’s range |

### The second half of my cycle

| Result (mIU/mL) | What it means |
| --- | --- |
| Under 1.0 | Below the lab’s range |
| 1.0 to 11.4 | In the lab’s range |
| 11.5 or more | Above the lab’s range |

### After menopause, not on hormone therapy

| Result (mIU/mL) | What it means |
| --- | --- |
| Under 7.7 | Below the lab’s range |
| 7.7 to 58.5 | In the lab’s range |
| 58.6 or more | Above the lab’s range |

### A man

| Result (mIU/mL) | What it means |
| --- | --- |
| Under 1.7 | Low for a man |
| 1.7 to 8.6 | Normal for a man |
| 8.7 or more | High for a man |

LH comes in pulses, so one result is a snapshot and can mislead.[1] Neither LH nor the LH-to-FSH ratio is used to diagnose PCOS.[2] If you take the pill or other hormones, these ranges don’t apply.[6]

### Below the lab’s range

**Range:** Below the lab’s range for that point in your cycle or after menopause.

Around ovulation, you may simply have tested before or after the surge.[1][5] If your periods have stopped, a low or normal LH points to the brain turning down its signal to the ovaries, as in hypothalamic amenorrhea, where LH is often low compared with FSH.[4] The pill and other hormone medicines change LH, so results taken on them can’t be read against these ranges.[6] Less often, a pituitary problem lowers it.[1] After menopause, hormone treatment can push LH down.[6]

**How worried to be:** Not a worry on its own if your periods are regular. If they’ve stopped, see a clinician.

**What to do next:**

1. If your periods have stopped, ask about FSH, estradiol and prolactin. Clinicians rule out pregnancy first.[4]
2. If you were checking for ovulation, a progesterone test about a week before your next period is the better check.[5]

[Test FSH, estradiol and prolactin, $21.90](https://app.picardo.health/labs/order?tests=004309,004515,004465&ref=guide-lh)

### In the lab’s range

**Range:** In the lab’s range for that point in your cycle or after menopause.

Your LH fits Labcorp’s range for the time you picked.[1] On its own, it says little more. LH comes in pulses, so one result is a snapshot.[1]

**How worried to be:** Nothing to worry about.

**What to do next:**

1. If you want to know whether you ovulate, a progesterone test about a week before your period is the usual check.[5]
2. If your periods are irregular, read LH with FSH and estradiol from the same draw.[4]

### Above the lab’s range

**Range:** Above the lab’s range for that point in your cycle or after menopause.

The likeliest reason is timing: you caught the surge that comes before ovulation.[1][5] With a high FSH too, it can mean the ovaries are slowing down, as in the menopause transition or premature ovarian insufficiency.[1][4] In PCOS, LH can be high compared with FSH, but that isn’t used to diagnose it.[2][4] After menopause, LH runs high anyway, so a result above the range is read with FSH.[1]

**How worried to be:** Usually not a worry. Worth a repeat if it doesn’t fit your timing.

**What to do next:**

1. If your periods are regular, retest early in your next cycle.[1]
2. If they’re irregular, ask about FSH and estradiol from the same draw, and about PCOS.[2][4]

[Test FSH and estradiol, $14.40](https://app.picardo.health/labs/order?tests=004309,004515&ref=guide-lh)

### Low for a man

**Range:** Under 1.7 mIU/mL (men).

With a low testosterone, a low LH points to the pituitary or hypothalamus: secondary hypogonadism. It can come from severe obesity, opioids, steroid medicines such as prednisone or a pituitary problem.[9] Testosterone treatment and anabolic steroids also shut LH down.[8][9] In this case, US urology guidelines strongly recommend checking prolactin, and advise a pituitary MRI if testosterone is under 150 ng/dL.[7]

**How worried to be:** Not urgent, but see a clinician, especially if your testosterone is low.

**What to do next:**

1. Check morning testosterone and prolactin.[7]
2. If you take testosterone or anabolic steroids, a low LH is expected.[9]

[Test testosterone and prolactin, $22.50](https://app.picardo.health/labs/order?tests=070001,004465&ref=guide-lh)

### Normal for a man

**Range:** 1.7 to 8.6 mIU/mL (men).

Your LH is in Labcorp’s range for men.[1] If your testosterone is low, though, a normal LH is “inappropriately normal”. The brain should be pushing harder, so it still points to the pituitary or hypothalamus.[7][9]

**How worried to be:** Nothing to worry about.

**What to do next:**

1. No action needed for LH itself.
2. If your testosterone is low, ask about prolactin.[7] At this LH level, clomiphene-type drugs, used off-label in men, can raise your own testosterone and help keep fertility.[7][8]

### High for a man

**Range:** 8.7 mIU/mL or more (men).

With a low testosterone, a high LH means the testes aren’t responding to the brain’s signal: primary hypogonadism. Causes include Klinefelter syndrome, undescended testes, some chemotherapy and injury.[9] Medicines that push the testes harder, such as clomiphene or hCG, may then raise testosterone less.[8]

**How worried to be:** Not urgent, but see a clinician, especially if your testosterone is low or you want children.

**What to do next:**

1. Check morning testosterone and FSH.[9]
2. If you want children, ask about a semen analysis, and don’t start testosterone.[8]

[Test testosterone and FSH, $21.40](https://app.picardo.health/labs/order?tests=070001,004309&ref=guide-lh)

## What is LH?

> Think of LH as a starting gun. For most of the cycle it ticks over in small pulses. Then it fires a sharp surge, and an egg is released within a day or two.[1][5]

LH, short for luteinizing hormone, is made by the pituitary gland at the base of the brain. In women, it works with FSH to ripen an egg, and its mid-cycle surge sets off ovulation. Afterward, it helps what’s left of the follicle make progesterone. In men, it tells the testes to make testosterone.[1]

## How does LH change across your cycle?

LH stays fairly low for most of the cycle, then surges just before ovulation. After menopause, it rises and stays high.[1]

| When | Labcorp’s range (mIU/mL) |
| --- | --- |
| Early in the cycle (follicular) | 2.4 to 12.6 |
| Around ovulation | 14.0 to 95.6 |
| Second half of the cycle (luteal) | 1.0 to 11.4 |
| After menopause | 7.7 to 58.5 |
| Men | 1.7 to 8.6 |

From Labcorp. The ranges overlap, so one LH result can’t tell you where you are in your cycle or whether you’ve been through menopause.[1]

LH is released in pulses, so a single result is a snapshot, and Labcorp notes it can be hard to interpret on its own.[1]

## Can LH show when you ovulate?

A urine ovulation kit can. It picks up the LH surge, which comes 1 to 2 days before ovulation. That’s indirect evidence, and kits vary in how accurate they are. In PCOS, LH can run high all the time and give false positives.[5]

A blood test confirms ovulation after the fact. A progesterone over 3 ng/mL, drawn about a week before your next period, is enough to show you ovulated.[5]

## Does a high LH mean PCOS?

Not on its own. LH can be high compared with FSH in PCOS,[4] but the 2023 international guideline doesn’t use LH or the LH-to-FSH ratio to diagnose it. Diagnosis needs two of three things, once other causes are ruled out: high androgens, seen as symptoms or on a blood test; irregular or absent ovulation; and polycystic ovaries on ultrasound or a high AMH.[2]

LH and FSH are mainly useful for ruling out other causes of missed periods, such as a low signal from the brain.[4] In 2026, an international consensus renamed PCOS polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome (PMOS), so you may see either name.[3]

## LH in men with low testosterone

In men, LH tells the testes to make testosterone.[1] If your testosterone is low, US urology guidelines strongly recommend measuring LH, because it shows where the problem starts.[7]

A high LH means the testes aren’t responding (primary hypogonadism). A low or normal LH means the brain isn’t sending enough signal (secondary hypogonadism), which can come from severe obesity, opioids, steroid medicines such as prednisone or a pituitary problem.[9]

The difference matters for treatment. With a low or normal LH, clomiphene-type drugs can raise your own testosterone and help keep fertility.[7] With a high LH, they tend to work less well, because the testes are the problem.[8]

## Who should get an LH test?

It’s worth checking if any of these apply to you:

- Your periods are irregular or have stopped. Test it with FSH and estradiol.[4]
- You’re a man with low testosterone.[7][9]

A single blood LH is a snapshot, and the surge before ovulation is short, so one test can’t time it. To time sex for pregnancy, a urine ovulation kit is the usual tool.[5]

## How to get an LH test, and what it costs

An LH test costs $7.45 through Picardo.

- [LH on its own, $7.45](https://app.picardo.health/labs/order?tests=004283&ref=guide-lh). Labcorp 004283, no fasting needed.

Every order comes with:

- Results in 2 to 3 days, in the app
- Physician follow-up if you want one
- Free Labcorp draw, or $75 at home
- No other fees. HSA and FSA eligible.

It’s also part of the [Base Core Annual – Men](https://picardo.health/labs/panels/base-core-men), [Base Core Annual – Women](https://picardo.health/labs/panels/base-core-women) and [Fertility](https://picardo.health/labs/panels/fertility) panels, if you’d rather test more at once.

Already have a result? [Ask Picardo about it](https://app.picardo.health/auth).

## Questions people ask

### What’s the LH-to-FSH ratio?

It’s your LH divided by your FSH. In PCOS, LH can be high compared with FSH, but no guideline sets a ratio that diagnoses it.[2][4] In hypothalamic amenorrhea, the opposite is common, with LH low compared with FSH.[4]

### When should I test LH?

It depends on why. To find your surge, use urine kits around mid-cycle; midday or evening urine matches blood LH best.[5] For missed periods, a blood test on any day, with FSH and estradiol, works.[4] Men should test alongside a morning testosterone.[7]

### Why is my LH high after menopause?

Once the ovaries stop working, nothing holds LH and FSH down, so both rise and stay high.[1][4] Labcorp’s range after menopause runs from 7.7 to 58.5 mIU/mL. That overlaps with values during the cycle, so LH alone can’t confirm menopause.[1]

### Why is my LH low on testosterone?

Testosterone from outside the body shuts down the brain’s signal to the testes, so LH falls.[8][9] That’s expected, and it’s also why testosterone treatment lowers sperm production.[8]

## Often checked alongside

- [FSH](https://picardo.health/guides/biomarkers/fsh.md): A brain hormone that drives egg and sperm production
- [Total testosterone](https://picardo.health/guides/biomarkers/testosterone.md): All the testosterone in your blood
- [Estradiol](https://picardo.health/guides/biomarkers/estradiol.md): The main estrogen
- [AMH](https://picardo.health/guides/biomarkers/amh.md): An estimate of egg reserve

## Test details

- **Labcorp test:** Luteinizing Hormone (LH), 004283
- **LOINC:** 10501-5
- **Sample:** Blood
- **Fasting:** Not needed
- **Typical lab range:** 2.4 to 12.6 mIU/mL (follicular); 14.0 to 95.6 (ovulation); 1.0 to 11.4 (luteal); 7.7 to 58.5 (postmenopausal); 1.7 to 8.6 (men)[1]
- **Units:** mIU/mL at Labcorp, the same as IU/L.
- **Best time to test:** For men, in the morning, with testosterone.[7]
- **Before the test:** If you take high-dose biotin, stop at least 72 hours before. It can make the result falsely high or low.[1][9]

## Sources

1. Labcorp. Luteinizing hormone (LH), test 004283. Labcorp test menu. Accessed October 28, 2026. https://www.labcorp.com/tests/004283/luteinizing-hormone-lh
2. Teede HJ, Tay CT, Laven JJE, et al. Recommendations from the 2023 international evidence-based guideline for the assessment and management of polycystic ovary syndrome. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2023;108(10):2447–2469. https://doi.org/10.1210/clinem/dgad463
3. Teede HJ, Khomami MB, Morman R, et al. Polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome, the new name for polycystic ovary syndrome: a multistep global consensus process. Lancet. 2026;407(10545):2329–2339. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(26)00717-8
4. Practice Committee of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine. Current evaluation of amenorrhea: a committee opinion. Fertil Steril. 2024;122(1):52–61. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fertnstert.2024.02.001
5. Practice Committee of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine. Fertility evaluation of infertile women: a committee opinion. Fertil Steril. Published online October 20, 2026. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fertnstert.2026.08.686
6. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Committee Opinion No. 605: primary ovarian insufficiency in adolescents and young women. Obstet Gynecol. 2014;124(1):193–197. Reaffirmed 2025. https://doi.org/10.1097/01.AOG.0000451757.51964.98
7. Mulhall JP, Trost LW, Brannigan RE, et al. Evaluation and management of testosterone deficiency: AUA guideline. J Urol. 2018;200(2):423–432. Reviewed and validity confirmed 2024. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.juro.2018.03.115
8. Schlegel PN, Sigman M, Collura B, et al. Diagnosis and treatment of infertility in men: AUA/ASRM guideline (2020; amended 2024). Linthicum, MD: American Urological Association; 2024. https://www.auanet.org/documents/Guidelines/PDF/2024%20Guidelines/Male%20Infertility%20Unabridged%20Final.pdf
9. Bhasin S, Brito JP, Cunningham GR, et al. Testosterone therapy in men with hypogonadism: an Endocrine Society clinical practice guideline. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2018;103(5):1715–1744. https://doi.org/10.1210/jc.2018-00229

Updated 2026-10-28. This is general health information, not medical advice: talk to your clinician about your results and before changing any treatment.