Monitoring bloods

Article summary

Did you find this summary helpful?

Thank you for your feedback

If testosterone has been initiated, a repeat total testosterone blood test should be performed within 2–3 months.
It is recommended by some guidelines that testosterone levels are reassessed at 3–6 weeks after treatment is commenced, but given that most NHS clinics review patients after 2–3 months, it is recognised that this is an aspirational goal.
It is important that monitoring continues every 6–12 months to ensure that levels remain within the female physiological range.

Recent application of testosterone can lead to contamination of samples.
Finger prick tests are particularly prone to error.
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.

References and Further Information:

Was this article helpful?