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 prolactin?

Prolactin is a hormone made by the pituitary gland, best known for its role in breast milk production. It is present in everyone, and outside of pregnancy and breastfeeding it can offer clues about pituitary function and about certain hormonal symptoms.

Why it matters

Prolactin is often checked when investigating irregular periods, fertility concerns, or unexplained hormonal symptoms, because a raised level can interfere with other reproductive hormones. It is a useful pointer toward the pituitary when the reproductive axis seems disturbed.

What your results can mean

Higher than expected

A high prolactin can result from stress or the sample itself, certain medications, or a pituitary cause, and can disrupt other sex hormones. Because mild rises are common and often benign, it is interpreted carefully and sometimes rechecked.

Within the expected range

A prolactin in range makes a prolactin-related cause of hormonal symptoms less likely, and shifts attention to other markers.

Reference ranges in Australia

Prolactin is reported in milli-international units per litre (mIU/L), with laboratory-specific reference ranges, and can be temporarily raised by stress or a difficult blood draw. Read your result against your own report and with a clinician.

Understanding your hormones with Precursor

Prolactin is best read within your wider hormonal picture. 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.