Luteinizing hormone: normal range, high and low

In shortFor adult women before menopause the usual range is 5–25 IU/L, with a higher peak around the middle of the menstrual cycle; after menopause it rises to 7.7–58.5 IU/L. For men over 18 the range is 1.8–8.6 IU/L. Levels are normally low during childhood.

Reference ranges

Group	Reference range
Women, before menopause	5–25 IU/L, peaking higher mid-cycle
Women, after menopause	7.7–58.5 IU/L
Men, over 18 years	1.8–8.6 IU/L
Children	Normally low until puberty

Normal value ranges vary slightly among different laboratories, and some laboratories use different measurements or test different samples. In women who menstruate, the cycle day at the draw matters.

Check your value

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A rough comparison with a typical range, not a diagnosis. Reference ranges vary between laboratories — check the range on your own report and let a clinician interpret the result.

What this marker is

Luteinizing hormone (LH) is made by the pituitary gland. In women it controls the menstrual cycle and triggers ovulation — the level peaks around the middle of the cycle. In men it signals the testicles to produce testosterone. In children, LH levels are normally low until puberty; in girls LH tells the ovaries to start making estrogen, and in boys it tells the testicles to start making testosterone.

LH testing helps diagnose conditions that cause too much or too little LH. In men the test may be ordered for signs of infertility or lowered sex drive, or for signs of a pituitary gland problem. In women it is part of the workup for irregular or absent periods and infertility. In children and teens, LH — together with FSH — helps sort out puberty that starts too early or too late.

The usual ranges: adult women before menopause 5–25 IU/L, peaking higher around the middle of the menstrual cycle and rising after menopause to 7.7–58.5 IU/L; men over 18 years 1.8–8.6 IU/L; normally low during childhood. For women who menstruate, the test may need to be scheduled at a specific time in the cycle.

In teens with no signs of sexual development by age 13 for girls or 14 for boys, LH and FSH may be low, normal, or high depending on the cause of delayed puberty. Many teens with delayed puberty are healthy and go through normal puberty later, but causes can include poor nutrition from a long-term illness or eating disorder, hypogonadism from genetic disorders such as Kallmann syndrome, tumors in the brain or pituitary, Turner syndrome in girls, Klinefelter syndrome in boys, certain autoimmune disorders, and radiation therapy or chemotherapy.

When it is high

In women: ovulation problemsA higher-than-normal LH is seen when women of childbearing age are not ovulating and when female sex hormones are out of balance, as with polycystic ovary syndrome.

In women: menopause and ovarian causesLH rises during and after menopause, with Turner syndrome — a rare genetic condition — and when the ovaries produce little or no hormones (ovarian hypofunction).

In menAbsence of testes (anorchia) or testes that do not function, genetic problems such as Klinefelter syndrome, and overactive endocrine glands or tumors (multiple endocrine neoplasia).

In childrenA higher-than-normal level is seen in early (precocious) puberty.

When it is low

HypopituitarismA lower-than-normal LH may be due to the pituitary gland not making enough hormone.

Delayed puberty contextIn teens with no signs of sexual development by age 13 for girls or 14 for boys, low or normal LH and FSH usually mean delayed puberty — often a healthy late start, but sometimes poor nutrition, hypogonadism, tumors, genetic or autoimmune disorders, or past radiation or chemotherapy.

What can skew the result

These factors can shift the value without any disease — worth considering before a retest:

The day of the menstrual cycle — the test may be scheduled for a specific timeCertain medicines and supplements

How to prepare

Certain medicines or supplements may need to be stopped before the test — the provider should know about everything being taken, and no prescription medicine is stopped without the provider's advice. Women who have menstrual periods may need the test at a specific time during the cycle.

When a retest makes sense

LH is usually read together with FSH — the pair separates ovarian or testicular causes from pituitary ones — and in children the two together distinguish early puberty from its lookalikes. During fertility workups, repeat and cycle-timed measurements are standard.

Who usually reviews this result

A result outside the reference range is usually reviewed by: a gynecologist or endocrinologist; a fertility specialist when infertility is the concern. Bring your lab report and any previous results to the appointment.

Names used on lab reports

Your report may use any of these names:
LHLutropinInterstitial cell stimulating hormoneICSH

Units

Measured in: IU/L

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Frequently asked questions

What does LH do in women versus men?

In women LH controls the menstrual cycle and triggers ovulation, peaking mid-cycle. In men it tells the testicles to produce testosterone. In children it stays low until puberty, then drives the hormonal changes of puberty in both sexes.

Why is LH measured together with FSH?

The two pituitary hormones work as a pair. Their combination separates problems in the ovaries or testicles from problems in the pituitary, and in children it distinguishes the types of early or delayed puberty.

Does the cycle day matter for the blood draw?

Yes. LH peaks around the middle of the menstrual cycle, so women who menstruate may need the test at a specific time — the provider sets the timing.

Sources

Luteinizing Hormone (LH) Levels Test: MedlinePlus Medical Test — MedlinePlus, National Library of Medicine. Accessed: August 29, 2026.
Luteinizing hormone (LH) blood test: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia — MedlinePlus, National Library of Medicine. Accessed: August 29, 2026.

Luteinizing hormone