Menopause is a natural period in a woman’s life that results in cessation of the menstrual cycle. Such a cessation should happen for a minimum of 12 months before the woman is confirmed to be going through menopause. The period before the complete cessation of the menstrual cycle is marked by a large number of changes in the periods and this transition is often called perimenopause. Whether a woman is in menopause or not can be checked through a menopause test.

This menopause test can be used at home to measure the follicle stimulating hormone in the urine. This helps to determine if the woman is experiencing menopause or is going through perimenopause. Follicle stimulating hormone is actually a hormone that is produced by the pituitary gland. The levels of this hormone temporarily increase for a month so that ovaries are stimulated to produce the eggs. When a woman enters the period of menopause the ovaries stop working and the levels of FSH increase.

This menopause test is a qualitative test and helps to determine if the FSH levels are elevated and so is not a definitive pointer of whether a person is experiencing menopause or is experiencing perimenopause. If a woman is experiencing symptoms like irregularity in the periods, vaginal dryness and sleep problems then it is advisable to check if these symptoms are part of menopause.

Some women do not find menopause symptoms too difficult to handle while for other women the symptoms may be extremely problematic. The menopause test will allow women to inform their doctor about their condition. The test is quite accurate and can detect FSH in 9 out of 10 times. The way to use this menopause test is to drop a few drops of your urine on the test device. The test device can also be dipped in a cup of urine. The chemicals that are present in the test device react with the FSH and produce a color.

Doctors may use a similar test while checking but the test is also accompanied with a detailed medical history, actual physical examination and laboratory tests that are done to get further assessment of the condition. If this menopause test is positive it indicates that the women may be in the menopause period. If the test is negative and if the woman has menopause symptoms then it may means that the woman is experiencing preimenopause.