Understanding common women's health blood tests

Women's health changes throughout every stage of life. Your age, life stage, symptoms and medical history can all influence the types of health checks and blood tests that may be recommended by your healthcare provider.

Today, New Zealanders can also self-request a range of laboratory tests, providing another way to gain insights into different aspects of their health and support more informed conversations with healthcare professionals.

Below are some of the blood tests commonly used to assess aspects of women's health. You can explore more available tests through BODYiQ.co.nz, New Zealand's leading self-request testing platform.

General wellbeing

A comprehensive wellness blood test provides a broad snapshot of your health by looking at multiple areas of the body in a single test. These panels commonly include markers that provide information about:

• Heart health
• Blood glucose and metabolic health
• Thyroid function
• Iron status
• Liver and kidney function
• Inflammation
• Complete blood count (CBC)

Together, these results can help identify patterns, monitor changes over time and support more informed conversations about your health.

• Learn more
  → Wellness Bundle

Thyroid health

Think of your thyroid as your body's metabolic thermostat. The thyroid controls how quickly your body uses energy, influencing everything from your heart rate and body temperature to your weight, mood and energy levels.

Thyroid blood tests commonly measure TSH, Free T4 and Free T3. Together, these tests help assess whether your thyroid is functioning normally, or whether it is underactive (which can contribute to weight gain) or overactive (which can contribute to weight loss).

• Learn more
  → Understanding Thyroid Blood Testing
  → Thyroid Health Bundle

Hormone health

Hormones are your body’s chemical messengers. They help regulate many functions throughout the body, including growth, reproduction, mood and metabolism, and naturally change over time, particularly during puberty, pregnancy and menopause.

Hormone testing measures reproductive hormones involved in the menstrual cycle, ovulation, fertility and menopause, helping to assess whether hormone levels are within the expected range for your age and stage of life.

• Learn more
  → Hormone Bundle

Iron status

Iron acts as the body’s oxygen transporter. Iron is essential for producing healthy red blood cells and carrying oxygen throughout the body. Your body needs the right amount of iron – both low and high iron stores can be signs of underlying health conditions.

Iron studies commonly measure several markers including transferrin and ferritin, helping to assess your body's iron stores and how iron is transported and used. 

• Learn more
  → Full Iron Studies

Vitamin D

Vitamin D is essential for healthy bones and muscles. It helps your body absorb calcium and supports normal immune function. Vitamin D levels can naturally change throughout the year and may be influenced by factors such as sunlight exposure, diet and lifestyle.

Vitamin D blood tests measure the level of vitamin D in your body, helping identify low vitamin D levels that may require treatment.

• Learn more
  → Understanding Vitamin D Levels
  → Vitamin D Test

Pregnancy screening

Pregnancy screening helps monitor the health of both mother and baby. Different laboratory tests and screening programmes may be recommended throughout pregnancy to provide important information about your pregnancy.

Illumiscreen is New Zealand's locally performed non-invasive prenatal screening (NIPS) test, available from 10 weeks of pregnancy. It uses a blood sample from the mother to screen for the chance of certain chromosome conditions in the baby.

• Learn more
  → Illumiscreen Prenatal Screening
• → Pregnancy testing

Looking after your health

Blood tests are just one piece of the bigger picture. 

Whether recommended by your healthcare provider or self-requested, laboratory testing provides important information that can help identify health concerns, monitor existing conditions and support informed decisions about your care.

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Disclaimer

Laboratory testing provides valuable information about your health but is only one part of the overall clinical picture. Test results should always be interpreted by a qualified healthcare professional in the context of your symptoms, medical history, physical examination and other relevant clinical information.

If you are feeling unwell, have persistent or concerning symptoms, or are worried about your health, please see your GP, nurse practitioner or other healthcare provider. If you experience severe symptoms or require urgent medical care, seek immediate medical attention.

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