How to test estrogen levels: estradiol, estrone or total estrogen

“Estrogen” is a group of hormones, not one. A test labeled “estrogen” can mean estradiol alone, or a total of several types. Knowing which one your question needs keeps you from buying a test that does not answer it.

Estradiol

A single test for estradiol, the main form of estrogen measured.

$99

See this test at HealthLabs

Price checked October 2026. Not available in ND, RI, NY, NJ, MD and HI. We earn a commission on sales.

The three types of estrogen

MedlinePlus says three types are commonly tested:

• Estrone (E1) is the weakest of the three. It is made mostly by body fat and the adrenal glands, and also by the ovaries. MedlinePlus says estrone is the only type of estrogen that females continue to make after menopause.
• Estradiol (E2) is the main estrogen in nonpregnant females of childbearing age. It is mostly made in the ovaries.
• Estriol (E3) increases during pregnancy and is made in the placenta. Nonpregnant females have very low levels.

Which test fits

If your question is	The test to look at
“My clinician asked for estradiol” or “E2”	Estradiol test
“I want estrone, estradiol and estriol together”	Total estrogen test
“I want several hormones in one order”	A panel. Each panel lists its own markers, so check the list before you assume it matches.

The seller’s page for the total estrogen test describes it as the combined levels of the three primary forms of estrogen. If you need the estradiol number on its own, the estradiol test is the match. If a result comes back as one combined figure, it will not give you estradiol by itself, so check how the order reports results.

• Total estrogenThree forms of estrogen combined $79 See this test at HealthLabs

Sold by HealthLabs. Prices checked October 2026. Not available in ND, RI, NY, NJ, MD and HI. We earn a commission on sales.

The price box at the top of the page is for the estradiol test, and the list above is for the total estrogen test.

Blood, urine or saliva

MedlinePlus says estrogen can be measured in a blood, urine (pee) or saliva (spit) sample. A blood test takes under five minutes. A urine test needs all of your urine collected over 24 hours. At-home kits usually use saliva, and MedlinePlus advises you to ask your provider which saliva test to use and to discuss the results with them. For the difference between kits and lab tests, see at-home tests vs lab tests.

How to prepare and when to test

MedlinePlus says you may need to stop certain medicines, such as the birth control pill and menopause hormone therapy, before the test. Tell your provider what you take, and don’t stop anything unless your provider says to.

The seller’s page for the estradiol test says fasting is not required and shows results in one to three business days. It notes that estradiol changes through the menstrual cycle but gives no booking instruction for which day. For the total estrogen test, follow the lab order for fasting and timing. When in doubt, follow the lab order.

What an estrogen test can’t tell you

Estrogen levels in females change a lot. MedlinePlus says they rise during puberty, are highest during pregnancy and decline after menopause, so you may need more than one test to see a trend. A healthy level depends on age, the reason for testing, the type measured and your other tests.

The Office on Women’s Health says blood hormone tests are not usually needed to tell whether you are in perimenopause. A provider can usually tell from your age, symptoms and period changes. See the perimenopause test page for more.

See a clinician if you have missed periods, if your periods have stopped before age 40, if you have been unable to get pregnant after a year of trying, or if you have vaginal bleeding after menopause. If you are or might be pregnant, talk to a clinician, not a lab order.

For reference limits, read estradiol levels. For what a result can mean, read low estrogen and high estrogen.