Blood tests at initiation
- 11 Dec 2023
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Blood tests at initiation
- Updated on 11 Dec 2023
- 1 Minute to read
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- For information on the indications for testosterone prescribing, see management section.
- It is recommended that total testosterone levels are checked before starting testosterone treatment.
- This is to establish a baseline for future monitoring and to ensure that levels are not in the upper range before testosterone is commenced.
- Low testosterone levels are normal in women and do not automatically require treating.
- There is no correlation between testosterone levels and symptoms.
- Testosterone levels are only arranged to avoid excess exposure.
- Total testosterone is recommended as the main biomarker for testing, rather than free testosterone or calculation of the free androgen index.
- Testosterone blood tests do not routinely need to be undertaken in the morning for women. Unlike in men, diurnal variations in testosterone levels have not been demonstrated in women.
Note:
There is poor correlation between circulating androgen levels and clinical symptoms.
References and Further Information:
- Davis S, Baber R, Panay N et al. Global consensus statement on the use of testosterone therapy for women. Climacteric 2019.
- British Menopause Society. Tools for clinicians. Testosterone replacement in menopause. December 2022.
- Menopause Practice Standards produced by the British Menopause Society (BMS), Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG), Society for Endocrinology (SfE), Faculty of Sexual and Reproductive Health (FSRH), Faculty of Pharmaceutical Medicine (FPM) and Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) 2022. Standard 7.
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