Hemoglobin values and the WHO cut-offs
Enter the hemoglobin figure printed on your report in either g/dL or g/L; the conversion is handled in code, since g/dL multiplied by ten gives g/L. Choose adult men, adult women who are not pregnant, or pregnancy, and the page returns the cut-off for that group, the signed difference from it, and the published band the value falls in.
The reference used is the World Health Organization hemoglobin thresholds (as of October 2026): anemia starts below 130 g/L in adult men, below 120 g/L in adult women who are not pregnant, and below 110 g/L in pregnancy. Those lines come from the lower five per cent of the hemoglobin distribution in a healthy reference population. The published bands are mild 110-129, moderate 80-109 and severe below 80 for men; mild 110-119 for women who are not pregnant; and mild 100-109, moderate 70-99 and severe below 70 in pregnancy.
Separate cut-offs for each trimester of pregnancy are not confirmed in an authoritative source, so they are not used. This page does not infer anemia from a list of symptoms; it reads the number from your report. Nor does crossing a line explain why. The cause and the treatment are decided by clinicians who see the full blood count, and this result is not a medical diagnosis.
Frequently asked questions
This page does not use trimester-specific cut-offs. Those separate values are not confirmed in an authoritative source, so pregnancy is compared against the single 110 g/L figure.
A 2024 World Health Organization report acknowledged data suggesting 135 g/L might suit men better, but kept the existing 130 g/L because the evidence remained uncertain. This page therefore uses 130 g/L.
It cannot be read that way. The cut-off is one line drawn to pick out anemia, and symptoms from other causes can sit above it. If symptoms persist or get worse, see a clinician.