Women's testosterone therapy check (for women already prescribed)
This panel is for women whose doctor has already prescribed testosterone. It measures the level your prescribing doctor monitors, the carrier protein that changes how much is active, and the general health markers checked alongside it.
What it measures
- Total testosterone: all the testosterone in your blood, bound and free. The primary level your prescribing doctor follows.
- SHBG: sex hormone binding globulin, the carrier protein. It determines how much of the total is bound and inactive.
- Free androgen index: a calculation from testosterone and SHBG that estimates the active fraction.
- Oestradiol: the main oestrogen, read for context, since testosterone and oestradiol are interpreted together.
- Full blood count: red cells, white cells and platelets. Australian guidance does not require this for female-dose therapy through the skin; some doctors include it as a general health check.
- Lipid profile: cholesterol and triglycerides, read as part of your overall cardiovascular risk. Not required for female-dose therapy, and included where your doctor wants it.
- Liver function: a general marker of how the liver is working, again included at your prescribing doctor's discretion rather than on a set schedule.
Who it's for
Women aged 18 and over whose doctor has prescribed testosterone and wants their levels checked, either at the interval the doctor has set or between appointments. If you have not been prescribed testosterone, this is not the right test. Questions about androgens in general are covered by the female hormone panel, which includes testosterone, SHBG and the free androgen index.
What you'll learn, and what you won't
You will see your total testosterone, SHBG and free androgen index, with oestradiol, blood count, lipids and liver results, each explained in plain English. Your doctor uses these to confirm your level sits where they intend, typically within the range expected for a woman, and to see the general health markers alongside it.
What you will not get is a decision about your treatment. The panel does not tell you whether to continue, stop or adjust anything, and it cannot start therapy. Those are your prescribing doctor's calls. A blood test is one input to a doctor's assessment, not a diagnosis on its own. If anything needs prompt attention, a doctor contacts you directly.
Why these markers are monitored
| Marker | Why your doctor checks it on therapy | What it usually means |
|---|---|---|
| Total testosterone | Confirms the level is within the range expected for women and not above it. | For premenopausal women, roughly 0.3 to 1.8 nmol/L measured by mass spectrometry, and lower again after menopause. Immunoassay ranges run higher and are less reliable at these concentrations. Your doctor aims to keep your level inside the range expected for a woman, and levels above it are flagged to your prescriber. |
| SHBG | Determines how much testosterone is bound and inactive; some therapies and conditions shift it. | Low SHBG means more free hormone for the same total; high SHBG means less. |
| Free androgen index | Estimates the active fraction when total testosterone alone is misleading. | Calculated as total testosterone (nmol/L) divided by SHBG (nmol/L), multiplied by 100. Typically about 1 to 7 in women, and laboratory dependent. Your doctor follows the total testosterone, with the index as context. |
| Oestradiol | Context for the androgen result; the two are interpreted together. | Read against your menopausal status and any other therapy you take. |
| Full blood count | A general health check. Raised red cell production is a concern of much higher androgen doses rather than female-dose therapy, and Australian guidance does not require this test. | Haemoglobin and red cell count above the lab's upper limit are followed up by your doctor. |
| Lipid profile | Part of general preventive health rather than a required check on female-dose therapy. Your prescribing doctor decides whether it is relevant and how often. | Cholesterol is read as part of overall cardiovascular risk (Australian CVD risk guideline 2023), not against a single cut-off, and your doctor sets your own target. |
| Liver function | Included where your doctor wants it. Australian guidance does not set routine liver testing for female-dose therapy through the skin. | Persistent changes are followed up by your doctor. |
Ranges vary by laboratory; your report shows the range your lab uses. Typical ranges on this page are drawn from Pathology Tests Explained (RCPA) and the sources listed below.
How often are levels checked on therapy?
Your prescribing doctor decides. The pattern set out in the 2019 global consensus position on testosterone for women, which the Australasian Menopause Society endorses, is a total testosterone before therapy starts, a repeat three to six weeks after starting, and then a level about every six months. Your doctor sets the interval that fits your situation; this panel simply makes each check easy to organise.
When to do this test
- Fasting: not required unless your doctor asks. If they want fasting lipids, fast for 8 to 12 hours.
- Timing of your dose: note when you last applied or took your prescribed testosterone. Levels vary across the day and after a dose, so the doctor needs this to read the result.
- Application site: if you use a topical preparation, the blood is drawn from a site where you do not apply it. Tell the collector.
- Morning collection is preferred, since testosterone follows a daily rhythm.
How it works
- Order online. Either upload the request your own doctor has signed ($179), or a KnowLuna women's health doctor reviews your details, requests the panel and explains the results in a 20-minute video consult ($259).
- Collect at an accredited (NATA) centre near you, or choose a home kit or a nurse visit (options below). One standard blood draw.
- Results are usually ready within a few business days, explained in your account. Download the report to share with your prescribing doctor.
Choose how you collect
Every option is the same accredited test and the same report. Pick what suits you at checkout; the fee, if any, is added to either pathway price.
A quick draw at an accredited pathology collection centre near you. Usually under ten minutes. Included.
Lancet kit posted to you with an Express return satchel. If the lab cannot test your sample we send a replacement kit at no charge.
A near-painless device draws a small sample from the upper arm, with far fewer failed samples than a finger-prick. Express return satchel included.
A registered nurse comes to your home or workplace for a standard blood draw. Metro areas of capital cities; other locations on request.
Common questions
Why is SHBG measured with testosterone?
Most testosterone in the blood is bound to SHBG and inactive. Two women with the same total testosterone can have very different amounts of free, active hormone if their SHBG differs. Measuring both lets your doctor estimate the active fraction and understand a total that looks high or low on its own.
What is the free androgen index?
A calculated ratio: total testosterone in nmol/L divided by SHBG in nmol/L, multiplied by 100. It estimates how much testosterone is free and active. It is a guide rather than a direct measurement, so your doctor reads it alongside the total testosterone and SHBG values.
How often are levels checked on therapy?
Your prescribing doctor decides. The usual pattern is a level before starting, a repeat three to six weeks later, and then about every six months. The right interval still depends on your situation, so ask your doctor what they want measured and when, and use this panel to fit around that plan.
Can this test start therapy?
No. KnowLuna does not prescribe testosterone or any other medicine, and a result from this panel is not a pathway to a prescription. It is for women whose own doctor has already prescribed and wants levels monitored. Your doctor interprets the report and decides on any change.
Does it matter where on my body I apply a topical preparation?
Yes, for the blood collection. If blood is drawn from skin near a recent application, the result can read falsely high. Tell the collector where you apply, and follow any timing instructions from your prescribing doctor about when to collect relative to your dose.
Sources and further reading
- Davis SR et al. Global Consensus Position Statement on the Use of Testosterone Therapy for Women (2019)
- Australasian Menopause Society: Testosterone and women
- Jean Hailes for Women's Health: testosterone therapy
- Pathology Tests Explained (RCPA): testosterone
- Pathology Tests Explained (RCPA): sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG)
General information only, not medical advice. A test result is one input to a doctor's assessment, not a diagnosis on its own, and every abnormal result is followed up by a KnowLuna doctor. If your symptoms are severe or sudden, see a doctor promptly. Read our medical disclaimer.
Related
- Perimenopause and menopause tests: the stage hub.
- Menopause treatment monitoring: for women already prescribed menopausal hormone therapy.
- Testosterone, SHBG and DHEA-S in women: what the androgen tests show
- Perimenopause and menopause tests: what a blood test can confirm
Then talk to your doctor.