Hertility is an at-home fertility and hormone testing kit, which, after completing, you pop in the post and await your results, which come in less than 10 days! The kit costs £150 and gives you a breakdown of your hormone and fertility health following a questionnaire you fill out when ordering the kit. I’ll go into detail about the whole experience but here is a quick pros and cons list from my personal experience:

Pros:

1. Super clear instructions

2. Beautiful packaging

3. The home kit allows for the comfort of your home

4. And on your schedule

5. Both the kit and results arrive quickly

6. Clear analysis and understanding of hormones and fertility health

7. Advice on your next steps

8. Offers further support

Cons

1. The process takes longer than expected

2. I had to prick all five fingers and nearly did not get enough blood out

3. Fiddly and at times quite frustrating, which I felt unprepared for

4. The bruising lasted a couple of days

5. Not much information on the impacts of contraception

6. More information could be provided on the severity of any issues

7. Left needing expensive further services

   
   

Ordering the kit:

The website is clean, soft, and feminine. It is easy to use and the questionnaire includes thirty questions to gain real insight into any issues you may be having and what is appropriate to test for. As I am on contraception, it was more difficult to navigate questions on my period as I have not had one for four months and I was unsure how contraception may affect my results. You also receive an email with instructions on how to get your blood flowing to make it an easy sampling. This includes staying hydrated, and warm, piercing the outer tip of your middle or ring finger, and using the box to keep your vial from spilling.

The kit:

The lovely little box includes a blood collection tube, protective packaging for that tube to be sealed in, a sample return card, a lab return form, a manual with a QR code to watch a ‘how to’ video, five lancets (to prick your finger), plasters, alcohol wipes, and cotton pads.

All the packaging follows the prettiness of the website but they do not overload you with manuals or bits and bobs. It is all simple and they tell you that if there are any problems, please call. 

The process:

It was only when I opened the box that I discovered you have to do this test first thing in the morning or after eight hours of fasting. So away the box went for a few more days when I had time in the morning to do it. Once more prepared, I opened it again and followed the instructions, which tell you to lay everything out in front of you and on a table lower than your elbow. This is so that your arm is dangling and the blood flows easier. I filled out the sample return card, which reminded me to do the test on the right day, which for me was any day because I am on contraception. 

They tell you to drink two glasses of water at least 30 minutes before. They also direct you to put your hands in a bowl of warm water to encourage blood flow. Once warm to the touch, wipe the finger with the alcohol wipes and then pierce at the top. It does hurt, however, a very rapid pinch and it’s over. They advise massaging your hand but not squeezing around the pierced area. You want the vial upright and in place. This is something I neglected to do and I did knock it over twice. Once losing a bit of blood, the second time, none at all. It was quite stressful though and I highly recommend placing it upright in the box.

It can be quite difficult to see how the blood is coming out of your finger with the tube quite far below and your arm needing to stay straight down and I often found blood collecting in my nail rather than in the tube. For me personally, I found the blood poured out quickly for a minute or two and then began to clot and in the end, I had to pierce five fingers, using all five lancets. They also advise pricking your middle and ringer fingers but I was unsure if I should return to a finger I’d already pricked or go for another. I chose my index finger in the end. I only just about got the 1ml of blood and it took me over an hour, which I did not expect. In all honesty, I was quite frustrated by the end of it, however, I know others who have done a a home blood testing kit for STIs who have only had to use two fingers and it took twenty minutes. I think my issues with hydration and the current low temperatures, meaning I was not so warm all the time, probably led to these difficulties.

My only criticism is that Hertility could place more emphasis on these variables in affecting the ease of the experience. I only received one email advising these tips amongst many about the importance of hormone and fertility health and the ‘how to’ video only reinforces the hydration and placement of the tube. I was even concerned at one point that I would not be able to collect enough blood. The manual does stress that if one cannot collect enough blood then call them but I do not exactly understand what they would do in this case.

I think it is important to note that, for me anyway, my fingertips did bruise and it could be at least slightly inconvenient and slightly painful to use them. Whilst a minor pain, I had a free day with not a lot planned. I’m unsure how uncomfortable it might have been if I was busy or using them a lot more immediately after. The index finger was especially painful. Again, because I had to prick five fingers, this was more painful for me than someone who might only need two or even three. 

So, whilst the instructions were clear and the video is especially helpful and good to use, I think an email or card in the box with information for before you carry out the test. This could place a real emphasis on being hydrated, and warm, placing the tube upright, and the necessity to do it first thing in the morning or after an eight-hour fast, it may take between twenty minutes and an hour (so you don’t, like me, start to get a bit panicked and frustrated), and that your fingertips will bruise slightly. I believe setting these expectations is important because unless, like me, you are using contraception, you have to carry out this test on a specific day of your cycle and if you’re eager or anxious to know your results, you might try to rush this or squeeze into a morning or miss out some of these important variables. 

The results:

The results, very impressively, came four days later (index finger still tender). You quickly make an account and then you can read through a very clean and clear breakdown of your results. It begins with an overview, followed by a note from the doctor, the hormone results, the hormones explained, their expert analysis, the next steps, and finally, personalised insights. Let’s break these down.

The overview is a short introduction and the doctor’s note warns you of any results that might require further investigation. They also remind you that you can book a video consultation if you have any questions. Whilst you may race through this note due to anxiety or excitement, it’s a caring touch to the process.

Your hormone levels are explained neatly with visual aids and short explanations to stop you from becoming overwhelmed. My results did intrigue me, however, there was no discussion of how contraception may be having an impact here and this was a theme that continued.

My results moved between reassuring and anxiety-inducing but I guess that should have been expected. My AMH results suggested I may have polycystic ovaries, something I had previously been unconcerned about. They did not link this to my questionnaire, leaving me to question how seriously I had to take this, especially considering I am not having periods currently due to the implant.

Another result that I was left feeling worried about was my low SHGB levels. In the “What this means for you?” section, they stated: ‘Your SHBG level is low. Your health assessment answers do not show any risk factors for this result but there are multiple factors thought to affect SHBG levels, such as medical conditions, medications, BMI and a sedentary lifestyle.’ I can no longer remember if they asked about fitness but I am sure they asked for my height and weight in the questionnaire, which would immediately rule out obesity. I am very active at work and do not live a sedentary life. This leads me to consider medical conditions, as I don’t take any medication other than contraception. But what medical conditions? PCOS? Where do I go with this information? And what does this mean for my health? 

Analysis:

My analysis suggests that I should get an ultrasound for the possibility of being diagnosed with PCOS. Ultrasounds are expensive and as I said before, this is not something I was previously worried about, but I am now. Whilst this could be the push I need to discover I do have PCOS, it could also be a waste of £219. How strong is the correlation between high AMH and low SHBG and PCOS? I’d have appreciated some more information on how likely it may be that I have it.  

My next steps:

In the next steps, they guide you to other services. Whilst helpful, they are all an additional cost. It all comes down to how concerned you are. I am now having to consider a £219 pelvic ultrasound to see if I have PCOS and if I want to have a consultation to discuss how serious this could be, I have to pay £39. It is always a personal decision on whether you are willing to spend and how anxious you are but it is also a financial decision that might not be an option for everyone. Whilst there are several options for more help, there are no suggestions for how a GP can help. With the analysis kept short, I believe the consultation should be free with the kit and if this is too expensive for Hertility, then the hormone kit price could be increased.

To conclude:

I think it is amazing that women can understand their hormones with an at-home kit. Little fuss, little waiting. Yes, the kit is fiddly, and yes, it is easy for the important emails to get lost amongst the PR. The overall tone of this product is soft, caring, and empathetic and I especially like how step-by-step the results are. If you are concerned about your fertility and hormone health then £150 is probably completely worth it but be prepared to continue the spend to fully understand your results. Whilst little details could improve the product like a preparation card in the box (a lot of people will ignore emails because Hertility do send you a lot), this product is generally very well done and it’s great to see a company built around prioritising women’s health and especially, hormones and fertility which have been so historically neglected.

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Charlotte Whittle studied English Literature with Creative Writing at the University of Birmingham. She writes poems which she reads at open-mic nights and is also writing a play at the moment about vampires and friendship. She has a Level 4 accreditation in Sex and Relationships which she has used to write articles on sex education and also Melior Platform. She is keen to start a podcast where people talk about their experiences and/or perceptions of sex and relationships.