DUTCH Cycle Mapping
What Is the DUTCH Cycle Mapping?
The DUTCH Cycle Mapping is an exclusively female test that assesses estrogen and progesterone levels through the entire course of a woman’s menstrual cycle rather than on a single day. The test is made by Precision Analytical Inc., the creators of DUTCH Complete and DUTCH Plus tests.
Sometimes, testing a female patient’s reproductive hormones on a certain day is enough to have all the necessary information about them. However, in many cases, a full cycle is required to have an accurate assessment. Hormones do not remain stable throughout the cycle – they change their levels according to the cycle’s regular pattern:
- At the beginning of the cycle, estrogen levels are low, rise during ovulation, and drop during the luteal phase
- Progesterone is low until ovulation, at which point there should be a huge increase in its level – over ten times – that will be followed by a drop during the luteal phase
In cases where this pattern is changed, the reasons for such changes cannot be revealed based on only one test result.
What's Included in the Kit?
The DUTCH Cycle Mapping test kit is user-friendly and designed for home-use testing. The kit includes the following items:
- Clear instructions and filter paper sampling strips
- Patient history and supplement list form, which includes medication and hormone replacement therapy information, and a health survey
- Return mailer envelope
What Do the Results Include?
The DUTCH Cycle Mapping test kit comes with:
- Nine specific estrogen and progesterone levels are measured at various stages during the menstrual cycle to profile the follicular, ovulation, and luteal phases
- Results are shown in graphical form, thus allowing for the visualization of the complete hormonal cycle
- Video tutorials are integrated within the package, allowing healthcare providers to easily explain results to patients
It can even be combined with the DUTCH Complete test kit to have a more detailed hormonal profile with all sex hormones, cortisol, melatonin, and organic acids, along with cycle-length mapping.
When Is the DUTCH Cycle Mapping Recommended?
DUTCH Cycle Mapping test is suitable for use in cases of:
- Infertility – determining whether ovulation is taking place and whether there is enough progesterone produced after ovulation
- Cycling hormones without periods – hormones present while the period is not showing
- Partial hysterectomy – the situation where a woman does not have her uterus anymore, but her ovaries are still present, and she is cycling hormonally
- Ablations – a situation when there are no periods, but the ovaries are active
- Irregular cycles – a situation where one day testing cannot be reliably performed at the correct time of the cycle
- PCOS – Polycystic Ovary Syndrome – where ovulation and luteal function are usually disrupted
- Luteal phase variability month-by-month – when luteal phase duration or quality changes from month to month
- Long or short cycles – where a normal collection schedule cannot be used
- Changes of symptoms throughout the cycle – PMS, midcycle bleeding, hormonal migraines, and others
In case of post-menopausal state, being on hormonal contraceptives or having regular menstrual cycles, there is no need for using DUTCH Cycle Mapping. Instead, you should begin with the DUTCH Complete or DUTCH Plus tests.
Why DUTCH Cycle Mapping Over Other Hormone Tests?
More accurate timing for irregular cycles
There is the possibility that salivary hormone testing could miss important peaks of progesterone and estrogen when not done at the exact right time, which is a very big disadvantage for women who have irregular menstrual cycles. The DUTCH Cycle Mapping test involves multiple morning urines and is adapted to the specific length of the cycle.
A detailed view that drives better treatment
It allows for a complete graphic assessment of the menstrual cycle, helping professionals to monitor ovulation, pinpoint the reason for mid-cycle bleeding or hormonal headaches, and determine ovarian activity as a whole. Such a high degree of detail will make it possible to apply more precise treatment methods based on patients’ hormonal patterns.
Analytically rigorous methodology
Estrogens and progesterone metabolites are measured nine times through the application of the LC-MS/MS technique, which is the most precise way to measure these hormones and their metabolites in urine.
How Does It Compare to Other DUTCH Tests?
|
Feature |
DUTCH Complete |
DUTCH Plus |
DUTCH Cycle Mapping |
|
Comprehensive sex hormones and metabolites |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
|
Diurnal cortisol rhythm |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
|
Cortisol Awakening Response (CAR) |
No |
Yes |
No |
|
Organic acids and overnight melatonin |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
|
Menstrual cycle estrogen and progesterone mapping |
No |
No |
Yes |
For those women who require a full-cycle mapping of their hormones along with their metabolites and adrenal data, the combination of DUTCH Cycle Mapping with DUTCH Complete would be the best choice to take. Should you have any doubts about what tests should be used in your case, you may consult dutchtesting.org for free.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the DUTCH Cycle Mapping test?
It is a female-only hormone test that measures estrogen and progesterone throughout the complete menstrual cycle with the help of nine specific urine samples, describing the follicular, ovulatory, and luteal phases of the menstrual cycle.
How many samples are required for the DUTCH Cycle Mapping?
This test makes use of nine dried urine samples taken at different stages in the menstrual cycle, depending on the cycle length of the individual.
Who should take the DUTCH Cycle Mapping test?
This test is recommended for women suffering from infertility issues, irregular menstrual cycle, PCOS, PMS, spotting during mid-menstrual cycle, hormonal headaches, hysterectomy with ovaries intact, or monthly variation in the luteal phase.
Can I take this test if I'm on birth control?
No. The DUTCH Cycle Mapping is not intended for women on hormonal birth control, as the contraceptive suppresses the natural hormonal patterns the test is designed to measure.
Can DUTCH Cycle Mapping be combined with the DUTCH Complete?
Yes – and it’s often recommended. Combining both tests adds full sex hormone metabolites, cortisol patterns, melatonin, and organic acid markers to the cycle-length estrogen and progesterone data.
How is DUTCH Cycle Mapping different from a standard hormone blood test?
A blood test captures hormone levels at a single point. DUTCH Cycle Mapping measures estrogen and progesterone nine times across the full cycle, revealing patterns that a one-time test cannot detect.
Do I need a healthcare provider to order the DUTCH Cycle Mapping?
Yes. Like all DUTCH tests, the Cycle Mapping must be ordered through a licensed healthcare provider or functional medicine practitioner who will also interpret the results.