Testosterone Test
About the Test
Testosterone is a steroid hormone that circulates around the body in the blood. A testosterone levels test measures the amount of testosterone in a blood sample. Testosterone is known as a “male” sex hormone, but females have testosterone in smaller amounts. In men, testosterone is produced by the testicles and the adrenal gland, controlling the production of sperm and male sex characteristics. In women, testosterone is produced by the ovaries, the adrenal gland, and other tissues and is involved in overall growth and development. Testosterone production is controlled by the luteinizing hormone (LH). Testosterone works within a negative feedback loop, so as testosterone levels rise, LH decreases, while increased LH causes decreased testosterone. Testosterone levels peak in the early morning hours and have the lowest levels in the evening. Levels increase after exercise and decrease with age.
What it Measures
Testosterone
Who it is For
- A patient is experiencing low or high testosterone symptoms
- Monitor a patient’s response to therapy
- Have had an abnormal testosterone test in the past
- A patient is on medications that may affect testosterone levels
- A transgender man taking testosterone for masculinizing hormone therapy (also called gender-affirming hormone therapy)
- Symptoms of Low
- Testosterone in Men:
- Low sex drive
- Erectile dysfunction )
- Infertility (difficulty getting someone pregnant)
- Enlarged breasts
- Lack of face or body hair
- Thinning bones or anemia without a known cause
- Loss of muscle mass
- Symptoms of High
- Testosterone in Women:
- Abnormal hair growth on the body or face
- Hair loss on the head that may be like male-pattern baldness (hair loss at the temples and balding on the top of the head)
- A voice that gets lower
- Irregular or no menstrual periods
- Infertility
- Acne
- Children Testosterone Imbalances
Sample Type
Finger-stick