Advanced Well Woman Blood Test

The Advanced Well Woman checks 51 markers:

A well woman check is a health review built around the conditions that most affect women: thyroid disease, iron deficiency, hormonal change, heart disease and diabetes risk, and ovarian health. In a GP surgery it may mean a consultation, blood pressure and cervical screening. As a blood test, it means one venous sample analysed for the markers above, with a GP report explaining each result. It takes five minutes at a clinic or at home with a nurse, and needs 8 to 12 hours of fasting beforehand.

CA-125 is a protein that can be raised in ovarian cancer, which is why the NHS uses it as a first test for women with persistent bloating, pelvic pain or feeling full quickly. It is not a cancer screening test on its own: endometriosis, fibroids, pelvic inflammation, your period and early pregnancy can all raise it, and some ovarian cancers do not. A normal result is reassuring in context; a raised one is a prompt for an ultrasound through your GP, not a diagnosis. Your GP report interprets it against your age and symptoms.

Oestradiol, LH and prolactin. Oestradiol falls as you approach the menopause, and a rising LH alongside it fits that picture; a high LH relative to oestradiol in a younger woman can point to PCOS. Prolactin, when raised, can explain irregular or absent periods, breast discharge and difficulty conceiving. Tell us the date of your last period when you book. If you want FSH, progesterone, testosterone and SHBG as well, our Female Hormone and Fertility test and the Signature Well Woman include them.

Yes. We ask you to fast for 8 to 12 hours before your sample is taken, so book a morning appointment and have nothing but water from the evening before. Fasting keeps the triglyceride and glucose-related results comparable with the reference ranges. Take any regular medication as normal unless your GP has told you otherwise, and eat as soon as the sample is done. Avoid heavy exercise the day before, note the date of your last period, and mention any hormonal contraception or HRT, as both affect several results.

Yes: those three symptoms share a short list of common blood causes, and this test covers all of them. Low ferritin or iron, an underactive thyroid, low vitamin D or B12, and raised HbA1c or cholesterol account for most cases, and hormonal change explains many more. A full blood count picks up anaemia. If everything is normal, that is useful too, because it points your GP towards causes a blood test cannot show, such as sleep, mood or medication.

Not as a package. Cervical screening and breast screening are offered by age, and the NHS Health Check for 40 to 74 year olds covers blood pressure, cholesterol and BMI. Thyroid, iron, vitamins, hormones, CA-125 and a full blood count are only tested when you present with symptoms that justify each one. A private well woman blood test gives you the whole picture at once, and the GP report can be shared with your own GP for any NHS follow-up.

If you have regular periods, days 2 to 5 give the most informative oestradiol and LH readings, but the test can be taken at any time as long as you tell us your cycle day. If you use hormonal contraception or HRT, or are past the menopause, timing does not matter. CA-125 can be slightly higher during your period, so avoid those days if you can.

£175 at one of 250+ Goodbody clinics or £195 with a nurse home visit, including the blood draw, all 51 markers and a GP report. Well woman blood tests in the UK typically cost £100 to £250, with the blood draw and doctor's review sometimes charged separately. Ours are included.

The Essential Well Woman (£129) is a finger-prick kit with 17 markers: cholesterol, thyroid, liver, kidney, iron, vitamin D, B12, folate, magnesium and LH. The Advanced (£175) needs a venous draw and adds CA-125, oestradiol, prolactin, HbA1c, a full blood count, inflammation, full iron studies and more liver and kidney markers, 51 in all. The Signature (£375) extends to 67 with a full hormone profile, full thyroid panel with antibodies and advanced heart-risk markers. Over 40, or with any gynaecological symptoms, choose at least the Advanced.

At any of 250+ Goodbody clinics across the UK, with morning appointments for fasting tests, or by a nurse visiting your home for £195. The venous draw takes about five minutes. Find your nearest clinic.

Results are emailed within 3 to 5 working days of your sample reaching the laboratory, with a GP report explaining every section and what to do next. Once a year is a sensible rhythm from 40, or when symptoms change; a borderline result may be repeated in three to six months.