Testing
How to Get Tested for Low Testosterone
Testing is the start. Symptoms alone are not a diagnosis, and a single number is not a protocol.
Last reviewed 2026-10-04 by Lauren Orta, FNP-C, Family Nurse Practitioner. This page is clinical content and is reviewed on a regular schedule.
What's on the panel
- Total & Free Testosterone — the core measure, with free testosterone calculated from SHBG.
- SHBG — sex hormone-binding globulin, which affects how much testosterone is bioavailable.
- Estradiol — testosterone aromatizes to estradiol; tracked to manage side effects.
- CBC with Hematocrit — monitored before and during treatment, especially at elevation.
- PSA — for men over 40, prostate monitoring before and during treatment.
Where to get drawn
Your provider orders labs to a local draw site — typically a national laboratory patient service center near you. Testing prefers an early-morning fasting draw, so plan accordingly if you work non-traditional hours.
Why symptoms matter as much as the number
The lab reference range is a statistical spread of the population tested — it includes men with symptoms of low testosterone. What matters clinically is the combination of your number and your symptoms. Your provider reads both before making any recommendation.