HORMONElife test readings help you track changes over time. A photo reading estimates the appearance of a test line; it is not a laboratory measurement. The key reading guidance is provided below so you can use this page without opening another website. Follow the instructions for your specific kit and talk with a healthcare provider before making medical decisions.

Jump to: LH · Ultra LH · FSH · PdG · hCG · Cycle estimates

LH test strip

How to read it: The control line (C) must appear. A test line (T) as dark as or darker than C indicates a positive LH surge result; a lighter or absent T line indicates a negative result. No C line means the test is invalid and should be repeated with a new strip. Read at the time stated in the kit instructions. The App T/C value tracks line appearance and is not a laboratory LH concentration.

What it means: An LH surge usually occurs before ovulation, but a positive strip does not confirm that ovulation happened or that pregnancy will occur. The FDA describes urine ovulation tests as qualitative tests for an LH surge and advises against using them to prevent pregnancy.

HORMONElife LH Test Strip instructions (Rev A2, PDF)

Sources: HORMONElife LH Test Strip instructions, Rev A2; U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), “Ovulation (Urine Test)” (original source).

Ultra LH test strip

How to read it: Compare the test line (T) with the color reference chart supplied with the Ultra LH kit. A line lighter than reference 25, or no T line, is Low; a line similar to or darker than the 25–45 references is High; a line darker than reference 45 is Peak. No control line (C) means the test is invalid. Read within the time window in the kit instructions. These reference numbers are part of this kit's color scale and should not be treated as laboratory LH measurements.

What it means: The Ultra LH color chart is specific to this strip. Do not apply the standard LH strip's T-versus-C rule to the Ultra LH reference scale. The FDA describes urine ovulation tests as a way to detect an LH surge before expected ovulation, not as confirmation that ovulation occurred.

HORMONElife Ultra LH instructions (Rev A2, PDF)

Sources: HORMONElife Ultra LH instructions, Rev A2, and supplied color reference chart; FDA, “Ovulation (Urine Test)” (original source).

FSH test strip

How to read it: Use the FSH kit's printed color reference chart, which includes a 25 mIU/mL reference, and read the strip at the time stated in its instructions. The control line (C) must appear; without it, repeat with a new strip. The kit instructions give Low and High interpretations based on the printed references. The App estimates where a photo falls on that color scale. Its “Peak” label is for tracking in the App, not a separate diagnosis or a laboratory FSH result.

What it means: FSH changes across the menstrual cycle. A home urine FSH result cannot by itself determine whether someone can become pregnant. Discuss concerning results with a healthcare provider.

HORMONElife FSH instructions (Rev A2, PDF)

Sources: HORMONElife FSH instructions, Rev A2, and supplied color reference chart; U.S. National Library of Medicine, MedlinePlus, “Follicle-Stimulating Hormone (FSH) Levels Test” (original source).

PdG test strip

How to read it: This PdG strip uses a different line pattern: a single control line (C), with no test line (T), is positive; both C and T lines indicate a negative result. No C line means the test is invalid. The kit detects elevated urinary PdG at 5 μg/mL or higher. Use first-morning urine and the timing in the product instructions. The App photo reading estimates line appearance; it does not measure a laboratory PdG concentration.

What it means: PdG is a urine metabolite of progesterone. Its rise after the fertile period can provide evidence consistent with ovulation when assessed over time, but one strip result should not be treated as a diagnosis.

HORMONElife PdG Urine Test Strip instructions (English and Spanish, PDF)

Sources: HORMONElife PdG Urine Test Strip instructions; Blackwell LF, Cooke DG, Brown S. “The Use of Estrone-3-Glucuronide and Pregnanediol-3-Glucuronide Excretion Rates to Navigate the Continuum of Ovarian Activity.” Frontiers in Public Health. 2018;6:153. DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2018.00153 (original study record).

hCG pregnancy test strip

How to read it: A control line (C) alone is negative; both C and T lines are positive, even if T is faint. No C line means the test is invalid and should be repeated with a new strip. Read at the time stated in the kit instructions. The App records your visual assessment; it does not calculate an hCG concentration.

What it means: A negative result very early in pregnancy may need repeating after a few days. Discuss a positive or unexpected result with a healthcare provider. The FDA describes home urine pregnancy tests as qualitative hCG tests whose accuracy depends on following the kit instructions.

HORMONElife hCG instructions (Rev A2, PDF)

Sources: HORMONElife hCG Pregnancy Test Strip instructions, Rev A2; FDA, “Pregnancy” (Home Use Tests) (original source).

Cycle and fertile-window estimates

Cycle charts and fertile-window predictions are estimates based on tracked dates and readings. Ovulation timing can vary between cycles; a predicted window does not establish when ovulation occurred or give an individual probability of pregnancy. ACOG describes fertility awareness as recognizing when the fertile time occurs and notes that cycle signs and tracking require careful interpretation.

Source: American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), “Fertility Awareness-Based Methods of Family Planning,” FAQ024, last reviewed February 2025 (original source).