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Bioavailable Estrogen

Meaning

The fraction of circulating estrogen hormones, primarily estradiol, that is not tightly bound to sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) and is therefore physiologically accessible to target tissues to initiate a cellular response. This includes both the free, unbound estrogen and the portion loosely bound to albumin, which can dissociate rapidly. Measuring this bioavailable fraction provides a more accurate assessment of the hormone’s effective biological signal strength than measuring total estrogen alone. It represents the biologically active portion of the hormone pool.