In This Article
In This Article
Testosterone is the primary sex hormone in men. It plays an important role in:
Testosterone helps adolescents develop sexual features. The hormone promotes red blood cell production, making it essential to overall health.1
Women also need a bit of testosterone in their bodies. The "male hormone" is essential to their sexual desire, bone strength, and muscle health.2
Men and women with too much or too little testosterone may experience health problems. Thankfully, you can evaluate your hormone levels with a testosterone test at home.
An at-home testosterone test is a practical and affordable way to check your testosterone and make sure it's within the normal range.
With standard hormone testing, you have to visit the doctor's clinic or a hospital. An at-home kit allows you to test your hormone levels at home and maintain your privacy.
Dr. Harshi Dhingra has an M.D. in Pathology.
She is a registered pathologist with over a decade of experience in diagnostic, clinical, research, and teaching work. She manages all aspects of pathology laboratory, including histopathology, cytology, hematology, and clinical pathology.
Currently, Dr. Dhingra is employed as faculty in a medical school and research center.
Normal testosterone levels vary for men and women of different ages.
Ideally, your testosterone should be:3
When your testosterone is above or below the normal range, you may be suffering a condition that affects your testosterone production.
Some common symptoms of low testosterone are:3,4
The effects of low testosterone levels can be different in men and women:
Testosterone levels naturally drop as a man ages. This decline starts at around 30 years old and continues throughout his life.
Men with low testosterone may experience:1,3
Dr. Harshi Dhingra says that most men with complaints have testosterone deficiency.
“Boys with delayed puberty should also be tested for low testosterone levels. A fall in testosterone can occur with pituitary and genetic diseases,” she adds.
Similar to men, women's testosterone decreases with age. When a woman reaches 40, her androgen (testosterone) will be half of what she had at 20.
Women with androgen or testosterone deficiency may experience:3,4
According to Dr. Dhingra, symptoms of low testosterone are common in perimenopausal and post menopausal women.
However, the removal of ovaries (oophorectomy) may also lead to testosterone deficiencies in women.
Common symptoms of high testosterone include:6
However, high testosterone can have different effects on men and women:
Men with high testosterone levels are uncommon, but not impossible. It usually affects athletes who use anabolic steroids, testosterone, and other hormones to enhance muscle growth and performance.
Men with high testosterone may experience:6
High testosterone levels increase your risk for liver disease, heart attacks, blood clots, high blood pressure, enlarged prostate, and high cholesterol.
“A test must be done if a young boy shows signs of early puberty. In older men, anabolic steroids and testosterone replacement are also known to cause abnormally high levels,” Dr. Dhingra explains.
Women with high testosterone usually have Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS).6 A PCOS test can detect high and low testosterone in women.
High testosterone in women causes:3,6
“Like men, women can also have high testosterone from anabolic steroid use, hereditary disorders, and tumors in the adrenal glands or ovaries,” says Dr. Dhingra.
Testosterone tests are traditionally performed in a hospital. Blood samples are taken and analyzed at a laboratory.
Unfortunately, this can be embarrassing for men and women alike. Nowadays, you can buy at-home hormone tests.
Many men are reluctant to request a testosterone test from their doctors. It's usually because they feel embarrassed.
An at-home testosterone kit lets you check your testosterone levels from the privacy of your home.
These tests often come in discreet packaging. The contents of the package will remain hidden from the public eye.
Your results will be available in a few days. Based on these results, you can find out if you need to see a doctor for additional tests and treatments.
Keep in mind that both high and low testosterone can be bad for you, regardless of your gender. The sooner you can get tested, the faster you can find out if you need medical help.
You can choose from several at-home testosterone kits. Here's what we recommend for men:
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Female hormone tests and fertility tests usually do not check for testosterone. They usually test for other hormones like:
You can take a PCOS test to check your testosterone levels. These tests check for Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, which causes high testosterone in women.
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If you decide to take an at-home test, choose a test that offers:
There are two types of at-home hormone tests to choose from: saliva hormone tests and blood hormone tests.
Tests that use blood samples like LetsGetChecked are the best choice for:
Although invasive, LetsGetChecked uses a relatively painless finger-prick method to collect blood samples.
Saliva hormone tests like EverlyWell are great when you're on topical hormones like HRT gels and creams.
They can monitor your hormone levels more accurately than blood tests. However, we don't recommend saliva tests if you're not on topical hormones.
At-home testing is a good place to begin if you think you have a testosterone problem. Testosterone levels that are too high or too low are signs that you need to see a doctor.
