There’s Now an At-Home Menopause Test

Clearblue—you know, the brand behind the home pregnancy tests—just announced that it’s expanding to a new category: menopause. Its latest product, which the company says is the first of its kind, combines a woman’s urine follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) measurements with her age and cycle history to indicate what menopause stage she’s likely in. In short, it’s the first home menopause test.

Clearblue is calling it the Menopause Stage Indicator, and the product is already available to purchase at retailers nationwide including Amazon and Rite Aid.

It’s a smart business move. According to the National Library of Medicine, approximately 1.3 million women in the United States become menopausal each year. Yet the menopause market has remained largely overlooked and underfunded, so much so that research from the Female Founders Fund declared it a $600 billion opportunity for companies.

“The unfortunate truth is that many women are told they are ‘fine,’ that their labs are ‘normal,’ or even have their menopausal symptoms dismissed and misdiagnosed as they enter and traverse the menopausal transition,” says Suzanne Gilberg-Lenz, an ob-gyn and senior medical adviser for Kindra. “According to a new survey Kindra conducted with the Harris Poll, one in three women ages 45 through 54—the typical age range for the menopause transition—have been diagnosed with a health care condition by a provider before finding out it was actually menopause causing their symptoms. Knowing this, and seeing it firsthand in my decades as an ob-gyn, I welcome any and all support and education for women who are seeking validation during their menopause journey.”

So how does the Menopause Stage Indicator work?

Anyone who purchases the Menopause Stage Indicator can download the free corresponding app that’s available on iOS or Android. After setting up your account, which includes sharing your cycle history, you’ll take five FSH urine tests over the course of 10 days (so one test every other day).

The app combines the results with your cycle history and age to determine the likely stage of menopause. It’ll then generate a personalized report that can be shared with a health care professional. The idea is that this can empower women with more information about their menopause journey, including answering questions about what comes next.

“I love the accessibility of this test,” says Emily Hu, an ob-gyn and the medical director for Evernow, adding that she thinks the app component will be useful for helping women to keep track of and pay attention to their symptoms. “It’s an easily available over-the-counter urine test for FSH that doesn’t require a blood draw.”

According to Dr. Hu, the kit is especially impressive because it requires samples over the course of several days. This allows for more data points and thus better information.

“FSH levels in women fluctuate, especially in the perimenopausal stages,” she explains. “What’s great about these in-home test is that they start the discussion about a medical concern. It brings the patient into the office to consult with her provider. Home pregnancy tests, home UTI tests, and home vaginitis tests all have the capacity to do this.”

Are there any concerns about taking an at-home menopause test?

While it’s good that the kit tests over the course of several days, both doctors agree that only a health care provider can give the most accurate results.