Like many at-home testing options, testosterone tests are painless and provide results relatively quickly. Since these tests are becoming more common, we spoke with experts and compared and contrasted each of the options, to provide you with the best at-home testosterone tests available today. Keep reading to find our picks and to learn more about why healthy testosterone levels are important in people of all genders. The pituitary gland, which sits right in the center of your brain, controls the production and regulation of testosterone. For men, research shows that testosterone regulates the sex drive, sperm production, fat distribution, muscle mass and strength, and bone density1. It also plays a vital role in mood and cognitive function2. In women, testosterone impacts many of the same factors3 but on a much less prominent level. According to Alice Williams, M.D. and owner of dralicewilliams.com, low levels of testosterone can cause several problems, including low sex drive, infertility, erectile dysfunction, osteoporosis, weight gain, muscle loss, fatigue, and depression. Treatment with testosterone replacement therapy helps to restore normal levels of the hormone and minimize these symptoms. Normal levels of testosterone hormone: While there’s a lot of talk about low testosterone, it’s important to address high testosterone levels, too. Increased blood levels of testosterone can lead to a risk of heart and liver problems, along with an increased risk of prostate cancer for men. In women, high testosterone levels can increase the risk of Type 2 diabetes, PCOS, breast cancer, and endometrial cancer. At-home testosterone tests can be used by anyone who wants to check their testosterone levels. Because the list of symptoms of low testosterone is extensive, ruling out a hormone imbalance can be an easy and quick way to determine whether that is the cause of your symptoms. If you are a male with no symptoms, an at-home test is a great way to determine your baseline testosterone (your body’s normal level of testosterone), which may be helpful information in the future. Testosterone levels naturally decrease with aging. However, medical diagnoses such as obesity, Type 2 diabetes, liver or kidney dysfunction, HIV/AIDS, and sleep apnea can deplete testosterone faster than the normal aging process. In fact, according to the American Urological Association, 30% of overweight men had low testosterone compared to only 6.4% of those with normal weight. If you want a more in-depth look at other hormones as well, there is an option for up to six male hormones. However, this company does not include testosterone testing in its women’s hormone test. While LetsGetChecked does offer a follow-up consultation with a nurse, you will still need to discuss further testing and treatment with your health care provider. And one important factor to keep in mind is that the results need to be sent in and evaluated right away, and you cannot take your sample on the weekend (Friday, Saturday, or Sunday). Want to give it a go? Check out our full review of LetsGetChecked’s at-home kits. Community Perk: Save 25% with promo code MBG25. Because this is a saliva test, it will only test your free testosterone and does not include total testosterone. All that in mind, MyLAB Box only tests for free testosterone rather than total testosterone. There is also no follow-up consultation, so you will need to discuss your results further with your health care provider. Another convenience of this company is that it offers testosterone medications prescribed by U.S.-based medical providers. You can decrease the cost by signing up for a membership, but it will not bill your insurance as a traditional health care provider would for testosterone medication. HSA and FSA payments are accepted but recommend checking with your account carrier first to make sure they will be accepted. Saliva identifies the level of hormones at the cellular level, also known as the bioavailable (amount of testosterone active in organs and tissues), while serum measures the level of hormones circulating in the bloodstream. Both sample means are considered accurate, but the more information you can gather by using both serum and saliva the better. To dive further into your health, find out what other tests functional medicine doctors recommend.
