There’s now an at-home perimenopause test
According to recent estimates, more than 1 billion women will be postmenopausal by 2025. But the concept of menopause—and perimenopause, which comes before—still feels shrouded in mystery for many of us. If you’re in the “I know perimenopause is coming but I don’t know when it’s going to happen” boat, there’s a new at-home test that intends to shed some light.
Oova, the company that makes fertility monitors, launched its first at-home perimenopause test this month.
The simple pee stick test comes with a QR code and an app with real-time data tracking across 15 days in your cycle so you get a big-picture view of your hormones in action.
Amy Divaraniya, PhD, founder and CEO of Oova, tells Motherly that women need a perimenopause test navigating the transition into menopause can be confusing—and women are often left with more questions than answers. Before the big change comes perimenopause, which can start in the 30s for some individuals, but most commonly, it starts in people aged 40 to 44.
“Unfortunately, women are often dismissed in the medical community, as the changes they undergo are considered ‘expected,’” she explains. “While these changes may be anticipated, they are neither comfortable nor welcomed, often leaving women feeling lost, unsettled, and abnormal.”
Perimenopausal symptoms like mood changes, headaches, fatigue, hot flashes, insomnia and trouble concentrating correlate with hormonal shifts. Knowing your hormonal patterns can help you transition in an informed way, Dr. Divaraniya says.
The test isn’t for everyone. If you don’t have a regular menstrual cycle and don’t show any other symptoms of perimenopause, you likely don’t need to use the kit, though it can gauge your hormones at any age, Dr. Divaraniya says.
Oova perimenopause test specs
The kit—priced at $159—comes with 15 days’ worth of tests. You can also purchase a monthly subscription for $129. This membership offers an ongoing kit subscription with full-circle support from Oova’s hormone specialists and access to the Oova community.
The kit measures estrogen (E3G), progesterone (PdG, a urinary progesterone metabolite), and luteinizing hormone (LH). These hormone levels offer valuable insights into an individual’s perimenopause journey, Dr. Divaraniya says.
Every kit includes 30 tests—15 for measuring E3G and 15 for measuring both LH/PdG. The product must be used alongside the smartphone app.
To use the test, collect a urine sample in a cup and dip the E3G and LH/PdG tests for 5 seconds each. The app has a timer to help track when the test is ready for evaluation. Once the timer is up, the user can scan the QR code on each stick to review the data in the app immediately. The app instantly analyzes the data, providing quantitative numbers for each hormone and AI insights to understand the data. This process is repeated over 15 days of an individual’s cycle, allowing you to track hormone fluctuations over time.
The test can:
Confirm perimenopausal hormone activity
Track unique physical symptoms
Indicate fertility and confirming ovulation if you’re trying to conceive during perimenopause
Enable you to monitor hormone patterns if you’re starting hormone replacement therapy (HRT)
The app also provides a HIPAA-compliant dashboard to facilitate data-sharing with clinicians in real-time, all from the comfort of home.
“Oova doesn’t replace annual doctor’s visits but provides an additional touchpoint for individuals to better understand their health,” Dr. Divaraniya says. “A woman’s doctor is a critical part of the equation. However, an annual blood draw provides a much less complete image of a woman’s hormone behavior than tracking the daily fluctuations and trends of these hormones.”
Big-picture tracking
Though hormones can vary widely throughout the menstrual cycle, having a two-week window can help identify trends. “Oova offers the level of detail needed to obtain a comprehensive image of a woman’s hormone behavior. There is no other product on the market that allows this level of data collection from the comfort and convenience of home,” Dr. Divaraniya says.
Think of the kit as a “starting point” to collect data that you can share with your doctor, she adds.
Oova differs from other menopause tests on the market because it gives you more than a brief snapshot of your hormone levels. “Oova is your continuous hormone storyteller,” Dr. Divaraniya explains. “We empower users to measure their actual hormone fluctuations throughout an entire cycle, allowing them to witness progress month after month.”
