LH stands for a luteinizing hormone that plays an important part in the menstrual cycle and ovulation. Ovulation is the release of an egg from the ovary and is the time during the cycle when a woman is more likely to become pregnant.
Ovulation can be determined by monitoring the level of luteinizing hormone (LH) in the urine. LH is always present in the urine in small amounts. An increase ("surge") in LH is an indication that ovulation will occur within the next 24 - 36 hours. After ovulation, LH falls back to baseline.
Human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) is a glycoprotein hormone secreted by the developing placenta shortly after fertilization. HCG can be detected in the urine and serum of pregnant women as early as 6 to 15 days after conception. The concentration of HCG increases to 5-50mIU/ml one-week post-implantation and reaches about 100mIU/ml at the time of the first missed menstrual period and peaks at 100,000 - 200,000mIU/ml at the end of the first trimester. The appearance of HCG soon after conception and its subsequent rise in concentration during
early gestation growth make it an excellent marker for the early
detection of pregnancy.
