Testosterone Free Test

To detect an abnormal testosterone level in males and females; in males, to help diagnose the cause of erectile dysfunction or the inability of your partner to get pregnant (infertility); in females, to help diagnose the cause of masculine physical features (virilization), infertility, or polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS); in children, to help determine the cause of genitals that are not clearly male or female (ambiguous genitalia) or delayed or early puberty

Your doctor may recommend testosterone test for you if he sees the signs of high/low testosterone in the blood:

The signs for low testosterone in men include:

• Low sex drive
• Fatigue
• Hair loss
• Trouble getting an erection
• Loss of muscle mass

The signs for low testosterone in women include:

• Fertility concerns
• Low sex drive
• Absence of menstrual cycle

The signs for high testosterone in women include:

• Acne
• Excessive facial hair
• Deep voice
• Male type baldness

The main sex hormone (androgen) in men is called Testosterone. It is responsible for male physical characteristics. Although it is considered to be a "male" sex hormone, it is present in the blood of women as well. Testosterone test measures the amount of testosterone in the blood.

Testosterone is produced by special endocrine tissue (the Leydig cells) in the male testicles. It is also produced by the adrenal glands in both men and women and, in small amounts, by the ovaries in women.

In males, testosterone stimulates development of secondary sex characteristics, including enlargement of the penis, growth of body hair, muscle development, and a deepening voice. It is present in large amounts in males during puberty and in adult males to regulate the sex drive and maintain muscle mass. In women, testosterone is converted to estradiol, the main sex hormone in females.