Educational information only. At Precursor, hormone testing is requested and reviewed by a clinician and considered alongside your history and other markers, not as a stand-alone diagnosis. Testing is performed in NATA-accredited laboratories to ISO 15189 standards.

What is LH?

LH, or luteinising hormone, is made by the pituitary gland and is a key driver of the reproductive system. In women it triggers ovulation, and in men it signals the testes to produce testosterone. It works closely alongside FSH.

Why it matters

LH helps a clinician understand where in the reproductive axis a hormonal issue sits. Because it comes from the pituitary and acts on the ovaries or testes, reading LH alongside the sex hormones shows whether a problem lies with the glands themselves or with the signals controlling them.

What your results can mean

Higher than expected

A high LH can indicate the pituitary is working hard to stimulate ovaries or testes that are under-responding, and is a normal feature of menopause. It is interpreted alongside your sex hormones and FSH.

Lower than expected

A low LH can point toward a pituitary or signalling issue, and is read within the overall hormonal picture.

Reference ranges in Australia

LH is reported in international units per litre (IU/L), and expected values depend on sex and, in women, the phase of the menstrual cycle. Read your result against your own report and alongside FSH and your sex hormones.

Understanding your hormones with Precursor

LH is most meaningful read with FSH and your sex hormones. At Precursor, hormone testing is requested and reviewed by a clinician, so your result is read in context. If this is something you would like to understand, you can speak with Precursor's clinical team about whether testing is right for you.