Can I compare my Modern Fertility results to results from other labs?

With lab testing, it's good to keep in mind that the "reference ranges" between labs can vary, so comparing the values you get back from a lab need to be considered within the range of that particular lab. This is not to say that you can't compare two results from different labs, but rather that there is a range of what's considered "normal" for healthy people and this range can look different between labs. 

Once you have your hormone results in hand, it might be tempting to google what those levels mean––we get it. If you go down the Google wormhole keep in mind that every site may be discussing a “normal” range that is specific to the lab that tested that sample. If you did not test with the same lab, it could be misleading to compare your results to the results presented on the website.

Additionally, if you bring your results to your next doctor’s appointment, and she is not familiar with Modern Fertility, you will probably want to make sure she sees the reference range so that she has context to interpret your results. This also holds true for re-testing. If you retest through your doctor’s office or at a different lab, you won’t necessarily get the same results, even if two labs use the same assay and equipment. This could be because of variability in any number of factors: who is running the tests, the temperature of the lab, the calibration of the machines, etc. That’s not to say that if you get different results, one result is “correct” while the other is “incorrect.” They are both valid and clinically relevant, but different because they are lab- and assay-specific. This is why you need a reference range! For more info on reference ranges, check out this article on our blog: https://modernfertility.com/blog/ranges/

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