DUTCH Test
The DUTCH Test, demystified
At FUTURE WOMAN, our expert team of nutritionists will interpret the DUTCH test for you in an easy-to-understand format, and prepare you a personalised protocol to improve your symptoms.
Your DUTCH Test kit delivered to your door
Receive your DUTCH hormone test kit in the post, with easy to follow video and written instructions from FUTURE WOMAN.
Return your samples for free to the lab for analysis.
Our expert interpretation
Our team of nutritionists are all specialists in women’s hormones and DUTCH test interpretation.
Our experts will interpret your DUTCH results in the context of your symptoms, lifestyle and daily habits in a format that’s easy to understand.
A personalised protocol to feel better
Knowing your results is only helpful if you know what to do about them!
Our expert team of nutritionists will prepare you a personalised protocol based on your results, which will include supplement, diet and lifestyle recommendations
Take a sneak peak at a FUTURE WOMAN DUTCH test report
Flick through the pages to see what you can expect from our DUTCH test interpretation and personalised protocol.
“I almost burst into tears of relief when we went through my report together!”
Which FUTURE WOMAN package is right for me?
At FUTURE WOMAN, we offer three different packages based on the DUTCH test. All our tests include a personalised protocol of supplement, diet and lifestyle recommendations, making it a much more affordable option.
Classic Hormone Test
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Reproductive hormones
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Reproductive hormone metabolites
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Adrenal hormones
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Cortisol awakening response
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Organic acids
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Cycle mapping
Best for HRT monitoring or an annual, basic check of hormone levels after 35.
Advanced Hormone Test
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Reproductive hormones
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Reproductive hormone metabolites
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Adrenal hormones
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Cortisol awakening response
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Organic acids
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Cycle mapping
Best for understanding the root cause of symptoms, and for women in perimenopause.
Advanced+ Hormone Test
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Reproductive hormones
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Reproductive hormone metabolites
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Adrenal hormones
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Cortisol awakening response
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Organic acids
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Cycle mapping
Best for fertility clients or those who are sensitive to hormonal fluctuations (e.g. PMDD).
“An expert in their field. FUTURE WOMAN have changed my life.”
What is the DUTCH test?
The DUTCH test (Dried Urine Test for Comprehensive Hormones) is a gold-standard hormone test that measures your sex hormones, stress hormones and their metabolites from a series of dried urine samples (and sometimes saliva samples) collected at home.
Unlike a blood test, which captures a single snapshot in time, the DUTCH test tracks how your hormones move across a full day. That makes it especially useful for assessing cortisol (which follows a daily rhythm), and for seeing not just how much oestrogen you’re making, but how your body is metabolising it. Oestrogen metabolism is one of the most important markers for long-term hormone health, and it can only be measured through urine.
The test was developed by Precision Analytical, a specialist US lab, and is used by functional medicine practitioners worldwide. At FUTURE WOMAN, we’ve built a service around it, combining the lab analysis with a full interpretation and personalised action plan from our expert nutritionist team.
What does the DUTCH test measure?
Depending on which package you choose, the DUTCH test can measure up to five groups of markers.
Reproductive Hormones
Oestrogen (E1, E2, E3), progesterone, testosterone and DHEA. This tells you whether you’re ovulating, whether progesterone is adequate to balance oestrogen, and whether androgens are contributing to symptoms like acne or thinning hair.
With the addition of the cycle map, you can also measure estrogen and progesterone across one entire menstrual cycle. This provides useful insights into how long you are making progesterone for (useful for fertility) and also the fluctuations of hormones across the cycle (useful for those sensitive to hormonal fluctuations like clients with PMDD).
Hormone Metabolites
How your body processes and clears oestrogen through the phase 1 and phase 2 detoxification pathways. Poor oestrogen metabolism is linked to heavy periods, PMS, fibroids, and increased long-term risk of hormone-related conditions. Progesterone metabolism and testosterone metabolism are also important for understanding symptoms in more detail.
Read more about the benefits of testing hormone metabolites.
Cortisol and adrenal function
The full diurnal pattern of cortisol across the day, including the cortisol awakening response, rather than a single value. Useful for anyone experiencing burnout, insomnia, stubborn weight, or a flat energy curve through the afternoon.
Organic acids and nutrient markers
Including B12, B6, glutathione, melatonin, and neurotransmitter metabolites like dopamine and serotonin. These open a window into nutrient status, gut health and mood, which underpin most hormone symptoms.
Inflammation
Markers that flag ongoing inflammation, which often sits underneath perimenopause and PCOS symptoms and drives a lot of what gets written off as “just stress”.
Blood tests rarely capture all of this, which is why functional and integrative practitioners have moved towards urine metabolite testing for complex hormone cases.
Who is the DUTCH test for?
The DUTCH test is for any woman who wants to understand what’s actually happening with her hormones, not just whether her numbers fall inside a population-wide “normal” range.
It’s particularly useful if you are:
- In your late 30s or 40s and noticing perimenopause symptoms (brain fog, sleep issues, anxiety, cycle changes, weight shifts)
- Managing PCOS, endometriosis, painful or heavy periods
- Struggling with unexplained fatigue, burnout, or low libido
- On HRT and want to check your levels are in the right range and that you’re metabolising oestrogen safely
- Trying to conceive and want to understand your luteal phase and progesterone production
- Experiencing PMDD or severe cyclical mood changes
- Dealing with recurrent acne, thinning hair, or unwanted hair growth
If you’ve had blood tests that came back “normal” but you still don’t feel well, a DUTCH test usually surfaces the pattern that’s been missed. It’s the test most women wish they’d done years earlier.
How the DUTCH test works
Order your kit. Your kit arrives in the post within a few days of ordering, with clear written instructions and a short video walkthrough.
Collect samples at home. The Classic involves four dried urine samples across a day. The Advanced adds five saliva samples plus an extra overnight saliva sample if insomnia is a concern. The Advanced+ includes extra dried urine strips collected across a full cycle, giving a complete picture of how your oestrogen and progesterone move day by day, plus the full set of urine and saliva samples on your final day of testing.
Post your samples back. Easily organise your courier collection using the instructions provided. Return postage is included. Dried urine samples are stable at room temperature and saliva samples must be frozen immediately after collection.
Lab analysis. Analysis takes 2 to 3 weeks from when your samples arrive at the lab (3 to 4 weeks for the Advanced+, given the volume of cycle samples).
Your interpretation and plan. Once the lab results are in, our nutritionist team takes up to 7 days to prepare your personalised report, with findings explained in plain English and a tailored protocol covering supplements, diet and lifestyle.
Total turnaround is around 3 to 4 weeks for the Classic and Advanced, 4 to 5 weeks for the Advanced+.
DUTCH test vs other hormone tests
DUTCH vs NHS blood tests
The NHS typically measures FSH and oestradiol as a one-off blood draw, and only offers testing in narrow circumstances (usually after age 45, or when fertility treatment is involved). NHS testing doesn’t cover hormone metabolites, cortisol patterns, or nutrient markers, so it can’t tell you why your symptoms are happening, only whether a single hormone value falls inside or outside a wide population range.
DUTCH vs private blood panels
Private blood tests give you more markers than the NHS, but they’re still a snapshot at one moment in time. Cortisol in particular needs to be measured across the day to be meaningful, and oestrogen metabolism can only be measured through urine.
DUTCH vs saliva testing
Saliva captures free (bioavailable) hormones and is good for cortisol rhythm, but misses the metabolite picture entirely. The DUTCH combines the strengths of both by using dried urine alongside saliva where relevant.
DUTCH vs at-home finger-prick tests
Finger-prick hormone tests sold by companies like Thriva or Medichecks measure FSH, LH, oestradiol and a few others. They’re a reasonable starting point but equivalent in scope to a private blood panel. They don’t assess hormone metabolism, cortisol rhythm, or gut and nutrient markers.
If you want a quick hormone snapshot, a blood test is fine. If you want to know why you feel the way you do and what to actually do about it, the DUTCH is the more comprehensive choice.
What's included in your FUTURE WOMAN interpretation
Buying the test kit is only half of what you pay for. The other half is what happens after your results come back.
Your FUTURE WOMAN report includes:
- A plain-English summary of what your results mean, with no jargon and no “discuss with your practitioner”
- Your personal hormone story, explaining how the findings connect to the symptoms you came in with
- A personalised supplement protocol, matched to your results, with practitioner grade supplements in dosages shown in research to be effective
- Dietary recommendations specific to your metabolism and hormone pattern
- Lifestyle guidance covering sleep, stress, exercise and cycle awareness
- Clear next steps, including whether to retest, when, and what to look for
Every report is prepared by a qualified nutritionist who specialises in women’s hormones and DUTCH interpretation. You’re not getting a PDF generated by AI, you’re getting a considered plan written for you.
Which FUTURE WOMAN DUTCH test is right for me?
Classic Hormone Test, £359
Best for monitoring HRT (checking you’re on the right hormones at the right dose, and metabolising oestrogen safely), or for an annual hormone check-in if you’re broadly well and want to keep an eye on your levels. Four dried urine samples across 24 hours, no saliva.
Advanced Hormone Test, £399
Our most popular option and the right starting point for most women with symptoms. Covers hormones, hormone metabolism, inflammation, cortisol, nutrient markers and gut health. Ideal for perimenopause (where stress and inflammation play a major role), PCOS (where androgens, inflammation and gut health all feed in), endometriosis, painful or heavy periods, and anyone who wants to understand the root cause of their symptoms rather than manage them. Four dried urine samples, five saliva samples, plus one extra overnight saliva sample if insomnia is part of the picture.
Advanced+ Hormone Test, £549
Everything in the Advanced, plus a full cycle map of oestrogen and progesterone across 21 dried urine strips. Designed for PMDD (where clients may be sensitive to hormonal fluctuations, not just hormone levels) and for fertility investigation (where knowing exactly how long you’re producing progesterone for is essential). The most comprehensive option we offer.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much is the DUTCH test in the UK?
FUTURE WOMAN DUTCH packages start at £359 for the Classic Hormone Test, £399 for the Advanced Hormone Test, and £549 for the Advanced+ Hormone Test. All packages include the kit, lab analysis, full report, and personalised protocol. Shipping is free if you’re based in the UK. Payment in three interest-free instalments is available via Klarna and PayPal.
Most UK practitioners who offer it charge £400 to £550 for the kit alone, plus £500-600 for two consultations (an initial and a follow up).
Where can I get a DUTCH test in the UK?
You can order a DUTCH test online directly from FUTURE WOMAN and have the kit delivered to your UK address within a few days.
Can I buy a DUTCH test online?
Yes. FUTURE WOMAN sells the DUTCH test online with UK shipping, so no GP referral or clinic visit is required.
You receive your personalised report securely online.
How long do DUTCH test results take?
Lab analysis takes 2 to 3 weeks from the moment your samples arrive (3 to 4 weeks for the Advanced+). Our nutritionist team then takes 7 days to prepare your personalised report. Most customers receive their full report within 3 to 4 weeks of posting their samples.
Do I need a doctor to order a DUTCH test?
No. You can order a DUTCH test directly through FUTURE WOMAN without a GP referral or private prescription.
Is the DUTCH test available on the NHS?
No. The NHS doesn’t offer DUTCH testing or any form of dried urine hormone metabolite analysis. If you want this level of detail, you’ll need to go private.
How accurate is the DUTCH test?
The DUTCH test is developed and run by Precision Analytical, a US-based specialist lab that has published peer-reviewed validation studies on the method. Dried urine hormone metabolite testing is considered the gold standard for assessing oestrogen metabolism and is used widely in functional and integrative medicine globally.
Can I take the DUTCH test on HRT?
Yes, and we actively recommend it. The DUTCH test lets you check you’re on the right hormones at the right dose, and confirm you’re metabolising oestrogen safely (particularly important for long-term breast and cardiovascular health). If you’re starting your HRT journey, we recommend the Advanced Hormone Test. For ongoing monitoring, we recommend the Classic Hormone Test.
Can I take the DUTCH test on the pill?
Yes, with the Advanced Hormone Test. Your oestrogen and progesterone levels will be suppressed by the pill, so the test won’t show your underlying reproductive hormone pattern. It will still show androgens (useful for PCOS), cortisol, metabolites, and nutrient markers. If you were symptomatic before going on the pill (acne, painful periods, mood issues), the DUTCH can help identify what’s driving those symptoms. This can be helpful if you’re looking to transition off the pill but are nervous about symptoms returning.
Can I take the DUTCH test on the Mirena or hormonal coil?
Yes, with the Advanced Hormone Test. The hormonal coil doesn’t fully suppress ovulation for most women, so the DUTCH test can show whether you’re still ovulating and whether your oestrogen is adequately opposed by progesterone.
Can I take the DUTCH test on the copper coil?
Yes. The copper coil doesn’t release hormones, so your results will reflect your natural hormone pattern. The Advanced Hormone Test is usually the right choice.
DUTCH test vs blood test, which is better?
It depends on the question you’re trying to answer. Blood tests work for quick hormone snapshots and certain medical diagnoses. The DUTCH test is better for understanding cortisol patterns, oestrogen metabolism, and the underlying drivers of hormone-related symptoms. For complex or unexplained cases, the DUTCH is the more comprehensive option.
Which DUTCH test should I choose?
Choose Classic if you’re monitoring HRT or doing an annual hormone check-in. Choose Advanced if you’re symptomatic and want to understand the root cause, especially if perimenopause, PCOS, endometriosis or painful periods are in the mix. Choose Advanced+ if you’re investigating PMDD or fertility and need a full cycle map of oestrogen and progesterone.
Which day of my cycle should I take the DUTCH test?
For the Classic and Advanced Hormone Test, we aim to test in the mid-luteal phase when progesterone is at its peak and estrogen is at its luteal peak. It’s important to select the right day so you get the most accurate reading of these two hormones.
We provide plenty of support to help women identify their best testing day.