Testosterone blood test: what to ask your GP for in Australia and NZ

A testosterone result is easy to skew. Have the blood taken mid-afternoon, after breakfast, or while you're getting over a cold, and the number can come back lower than your usual.^{1, 2, 3} This is the checklist to take to your GP: which markers to ask about, how to prepare, why one test isn't enough, and how requests and costs work in Australia and New Zealand.

General information, not medical advice. Your GP decides which tests are right for you, based on an honest account of how you've been.

What blood tests should I ask my GP for to check testosterone?

Start with a morning total testosterone, and ask whether SHBG, LH and FSH should go on the same form. Australian and NZ guidance builds the assessment around total testosterone, with LH and FSH showing whether a low result starts in the testes or the pituitary.^{3, 4} Both treat it as a test for men with symptoms, not a routine screen.^{3, 4}

The other markers don't measure testosterone. They help explain a result or rule other causes in or out. Your GP won't order every one for every man, and that's their call.

Marker	Name to use on the form	What it is	Why a GP or coach looks at it
Total testosterone	Testosterone (total)	All the testosterone in your blood, bound and unbound	The first-line test in both countries' guidance3, 4
SHBG	Sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG)	A blood protein that latches onto testosterone. While it's attached, your body can't use that testosterone. In men it holds roughly 40 to 50% of the total5	It rises with age, liver disease and an overactive thyroid, and falls with obesity and type 2 diabetes, which changes how total testosterone reads3, 4
Calculated free testosterone	Free testosterone (calculated). At Awanui Labs in NZ: "Testosterone + SHBG"	An estimate of unbound testosterone, worked out from total testosterone and SHBG. The Vermeulen formula labs use also takes albumin into account3, 5, 11	bpac prefers it to a direct free testosterone test when doubt remains after two morning results, and Awanui says it may help in borderline cases.3, 11 The Endocrine Society of Australia doesn't recommend it for clinical decisions,4 so treat it as context
LH and FSH	Luteinising hormone, follicle stimulating hormone	Pituitary signals that tell the testes to work	Low testosterone with high LH points to the testes; low or normal LH points to the pituitary3
Prolactin	Prolactin	A pituitary hormone	Part of confirmatory testing when testosterone is low. Some antidepressants, antipsychotics and benzodiazepines raise it3
Oestradiol	Oestradiol	The main oestrogen, which men make in small amounts	Not routine. Sometimes checked for male breast swelling6
Full blood count	FBC (includes haemoglobin and haematocrit)	Red cells, white cells and platelets	Mild anaemia is one of the less specific signs linked with low testosterone3
Iron studies	Iron studies (includes ferritin)	How much iron your body is carrying and storing	Recommended when low testosterone looks pituitary-related, to look for iron overload (haemochromatosis)4
HbA1c	HbA1c	Average blood glucose over the past few months7	Type 2 diabetes and insulin resistance are linked with lower testosterone3, 4
Lipids	Lipid profile	Cholesterol and triglycerides	A general heart-health check. healthdirect points out that erection trouble is frequently an early warning of heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure or high cholesterol8
TSH	TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone)	The usual first thyroid test9	Thyroid problems push SHBG up or down.3 In Australia, Medicare pays for free T4 and T3 only in set situations, such as an abnormal TSH or a suspected pituitary problem29
Liver function tests	LFTs (includes albumin)	Liver enzymes, bilirubin and albumin10	Liver disease raises SHBG,3 and albumin is part of the free testosterone formula5

PSA, the prostate test, isn't a testosterone marker, so it's a separate conversation with your GP. If a doctor ever weighs up testosterone therapy, bpac lists PSA, a full blood count (including haematocrit) and lipids among the checks done beforehand.³ That decision belongs to the doctor. Teak doesn't prescribe or sell testosterone. For the wider checks men are offered from middle age, see blood tests for men over 40.

What is a testosterone blood test called on the form?

Usually just "testosterone" or "total testosterone". Free testosterone is normally a figure the lab calculates from total testosterone and SHBG, so SHBG has to be on the same request.^{3, 11, 18}

• Australia: your GP writes the tests on the form. Medicare lists free or total testosterone, SHBG, LH, FSH, prolactin and oestradiol in one hormone group.¹²
• New Zealand: since 17 September 2024, Awanui Labs has four options. "Testosterone only" [TESF] reports total testosterone and nothing else. "Testosterone + SHBG" [FAI] adds SHBG, calculated free testosterone and a free androgen index. There's also "SHBG only" [SHB] and a specialist-only "Testosterone-LCMS" [LCM].¹¹ Awanui runs community labs in most regions, but Pathlab covers Waikato, Bay of Plenty, Rotorua and Taupō, and MedLab Central covers Manawatū-Whanganui, so the names on your form may differ.²³

If your report shows a free androgen index (FAI), give it little weight. Awanui and Pathology Tests Explained both warn it can mislead in men, and the Endocrine Society of Australia recommends it for women only.^{5, 11, 13} Look at calculated free testosterone instead.

Do you need to fast for a testosterone blood test?

Yes, if you can. Water only from the night before, and blood taken in the morning. healthdirect advises fasting with only water and a morning test, bpac says ideally after an overnight fast, and the Endocrine Society of Australia notes that fasting gives higher testosterone readings. The US Endocrine Society guideline also recommends a fasting morning sample.^{3, 4, 14, 15}

Eating can pull testosterone down for a while. In a US study of men with normal levels, testosterone started falling about 20 minutes after a glucose drink or a liquid mixed meal, with the biggest average fall at about an hour. In the meal group, the average drop at the low point was about 4.3 nmol/L (123 ng/dL), and five of the nine men briefly dipped below the usual lower limit of 10.4 nmol/L (300 ng/dL).² An earlier Swedish study found testosterone about 30% lower one to two hours after a 550-kilocalorie meal than when fasting.¹⁶ The US meal group was small, so these findings have limits, but both studies point the same way, and fasting costs you nothing.

Keep taking your usual medicines unless your GP or the lab says otherwise.¹⁴ Skip alcohol the day before, because recent drinking can cause a temporary drop.³

What time of day should you have a testosterone blood test?

Early morning. The sources don't agree on the exact cut-off, so book between 8 and 9am if you can. That slot sits inside every window below.

Source	Advice on timing
healthdirect (Australia)	In the morning, fasted14
Endocrine Society of Australia	Between 8 and 10am4
Healthify (NZ)	Before 9am17
bpac (NZ)	Between 7 and 11am, ideally after an overnight fast3
Canterbury Health Laboratories (NZ)	Before 10am for men18

Testosterone peaks in the morning and falls through the day. In a Boston study, men aged 30 to 40 had levels 20 to 25% lower at 4pm than at 8am, a gap that shrank to about 10% by age 70. Half the men (12 of 24) with at least one afternoon result under 10.4 nmol/L had normal results at all three of their morning visits.¹

If you work shifts, bpac suggests testing two to three hours after waking, and the Endocrine Society of Australia suggests soon after waking for shift workers and anyone short on sleep.^{3, 4}

Why do you need a second testosterone test?

Because a single low result is often wrong. The Endocrine Society of Australia notes that up to 30% of men with one low reading are normal when it's repeated.⁴

bpac says to repeat a below-range result, preferably four weeks later, and that no repeat is needed if the first is normal.³ The Australian position statement recommends at least two measurements of testosterone, LH and FSH unless the first set is clearly diagnostic.⁴

Make the second test comparable:

• Same lab if possible. Reference ranges depend on the lab's method, so switching labs muddies the comparison.^{3, 4}
• Same time of morning, same fasting routine.
• A normal week. Not the morning after a big night, and not while you're getting over an illness.³

Coach's note: book the retest for the same weekday and time as the first. Keep the day before boring: usual dinner, no drinks, no punishing session, usual bedtime. You're trying to test the same man twice.

What can affect a testosterone blood test result?

Illness, food, alcohol, poor sleep, stress, hard training, some medicines and some supplements can all shift it. Tell your GP about any of these:

• Recent illness, food or alcohol. Each can cause a temporary drop.³
• Short sleep, heavy stress or very heavy training. bpac lists all three among lifestyle factors linked with low testosterone.³
• Medicines. Opioids, high-dose corticosteroids, some anticonvulsants, antipsychotics and 5-alpha-reductase inhibitors are associated with lower testosterone.³ Don't change anything yourself; raise it with your prescriber.
• Anabolic steroids or any testosterone product, now or recently. These suppress your own testosterone production and lower SHBG, and the effect can last weeks to months after stopping.^{3, 4} Teak isn't suitable for men currently on testosterone, hCG or clomiphene (see who Teak isn't for).
• Supplements. List everything. Some tests need certain supplements stopped first, so ask.¹⁹ bpac also notes that products from unregulated sources can be contaminated or contain prescription medicines, including testosterone.³

How does a testosterone blood test work in Australia?

Your GP requests it, and Medicare pays only when a treating doctor has asked for the test, judged it necessary, and it is clinically relevant, meaning doctors generally accept it as needed for your care. A test you arrange yourself without a doctor's request gets no Medicare benefit, and a test that isn't clinically relevant is a private cost between you and the provider.²⁰

If the lab bulk bills, Medicare pays the full cost and you pay nothing. Not every provider bulk bills, so ask about out-of-pocket costs before the blood is taken. You can also use a different pathology provider from the one on the form, as long as it offers the test.²¹ Testosterone, SHBG, LH, FSH, prolactin and oestradiol share one Medicare hormone group, where the schedule fee rises with the number of tests on the request:^{12, 20}

Hormone tests on one request	MBS item	Schedule fee
1	66695	A$30.50
2	66698	A$43.70
3	66701	A$56.90
4	66704	A$70.15
5 or more	66707	A$83.35

The schedule fee is what Medicare bases its benefit on, not a lab's quote. If TSH is on the same request, Medicare uses combined TSH-and-hormone items with different fees. And when a GP requests more than three pathology items in one episode, Medicare's "episode cone" pays benefits for only the three with the highest schedule fees, so the benefit on a long form can be less than the sum of its items.²⁰ Ask the collection centre about any gap first.²¹ Prices last checked 30 September 2026.

Private routes without a GP, and what each includes, are on our testosterone test cost page. Pathology reports can be added to My Health Record, which keeps your first and second results together.¹⁹ According to Healthy Male, when results point to low testosterone, a GP refers on to an endocrinologist or urologist to confirm it.²²

How does a testosterone blood test work in New Zealand?

If you're eligible for publicly funded care and your GP requests the test, there's no charge when the sample is taken at the lab. Self-requested tests are paid for, and a practice that takes blood itself may charge.²³

• Ask for the combined request. At Awanui Labs, "Testosterone only" returns total testosterone alone. You need "Testosterone + SHBG" for calculated free testosterone. Awanui recommends SHBG whenever total testosterone is low or borderline, particularly in older or heavier men.¹¹
• Free testosterone may be restricted. bpac notes some regions only fund it when total testosterone is inconclusive (around 7 to 15 nmol/L) or an endocrinologist recommends it.³ A first request for total testosterone alone is normal.
• Mass spectrometry is specialist-only. Awanui says its routine test performs comparably for men.¹¹
• Self-requests depend on the lab. People aged 16 and over can self-request certain tests and pay for them.²³ Canterbury Health Laboratories no longer accepts self-requests.²⁴ Awanui Labs does, with results going to you, not your GP, and extra fees such as a collection fee may apply.²⁵ Its BODYiQ service lists a total-testosterone-only test at NZ$44.99, with no SHBG.²⁶

Paying yourself? Awanui's patient price list, published on its Auckland site, shows each marker's non-funded price:²⁷

Test (as named on Awanui's list)	Price incl. GST
Testosterone	NZ$47.00
Free androgen index (SHBG, total and free testosterone)	NZ$110.00
Luteinising hormone (LH)	NZ$23.50
Follicle stimulating hormone (FSH)	NZ$39.50
Prolactin	NZ$52.00
Oestradiol	NZ$43.00
Complete blood count	NZ$51.00
Full iron studies (iron and ferritin)	NZ$72.50
Glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c)	NZ$60.50
Lipids	NZ$59.00
Liver function tests	NZ$70.50
TSH	NZ$24.00
Service fee (all non-funded testing)	NZ$29.00

The list took effect on 1 January 2026 and was updated on 19 February 2026. It's published for the Auckland region, so other regions and other labs may charge differently. Check with the collection centre before you go. Prices last checked 30 September 2026.

What do the numbers on a testosterone blood test mean?

Read your result against the reference range on your own report. Ranges depend on the lab's method, so one lab's number can't be judged against another lab's range.^{3, 19} For a sense of scale:

• Canterbury Health Laboratories' male range is 8.6 to 29 nmol/L for ages 15 to 50 and 6.7 to 26 nmol/L over 50. Its calculated free testosterone range is 220 to 680 pmol/L for men aged 20 to 50 and 180 to 520 pmol/L over 50.¹⁸
• By mass spectrometry, the Endocrine Society of Australia cites 10.4 to 30.1 nmol/L in men aged 21 to 35 with proven normal reproductive function, and 6.4 to 25.7 nmol/L in very healthy men aged 70 to 89.⁴
• bpac notes symptoms become more likely below about 12 nmol/L and much more likely below about 8 nmol/L, and that international guidelines disagree on where to draw the line.³

None of this turns one result into a diagnosis. A GP reads testosterone alongside your symptoms, a second morning result, LH, FSH and SHBG, and any treatment is a doctor's decision. US sources use ng/dL: 10.4 nmol/L is about 300 ng/dL.¹ See the unit converter and the guides to testosterone levels by age and free testosterone and SHBG.

What if my GP says no to a testosterone test?

Ask why, and what they'd look at instead. A "not yet" is often a sound call: guidance doesn't support testing men without symptoms, and tiredness, low mood or poor motivation can come from depression, type 2 diabetes, stress or some medicines.^{3, 4} Health NZ confirms a GP can decline to order a test they see as unnecessary, potentially harmful, or outside what they're comfortable interpreting.²³

• Ask what would make a testosterone test worthwhile later.
• Ask whether checks like HbA1c, lipids, a full blood count or TSH make sense on their own.
• Get copies of any results from the past year.
• A second opinion from another GP is reasonable.
• Paying privately is an option, but a low private result still needs repeating on another morning.

One thing not to do: overstate or invent symptoms to get a test. It makes the result harder to interpret, and publicly funded tests are paid for by everyone. Describe how you've actually been.

When should you see a GP straight away?

Straight away, without waiting for a blood test or a coach, if any of these apply:

• Pain, a lump or swelling in a testicle.
• Breast tissue that has grown recently.
• Headaches with changes to your vision, one reason doctors check prolactin.²⁸
• Chest pain, breathlessness on exertion, or erection problems that came on suddenly. Erection problems can be an early sign of heart disease.⁸ If chest pain is happening now, call 000 in Australia or 111 in New Zealand.^{30, 31}
• A total testosterone result below your lab's range on a repeat morning test. That needs a doctor's assessment.
• Thoughts of harming yourself. Call Lifeline on 13 11 14 in Australia, or call or text 1737 in New Zealand.^{32, 33}

The full list is on our safety page.

What should I take to my GP for a testosterone test?

This checklist, plus a written list of every medicine and supplement you take.

Who can explain my testosterone blood test results?

Your GP first. If you also want every marker explained in plain English, send the report to a Teak coach on WhatsApp as a PDF or photo. With Baseline, 4 weeks (A$297, or NZ$329 incl. GST), a coach reads every marker, ranks the habits most likely costing you and writes a four-week plan. Anything that looks medical goes to your GP, plainly and straight away. Blood tests are ordered and paid for separately. See how it works or how coaching compares with TRT.

Teak sells coaching. We don't sell testosterone, supplements or tests, and we take no commission from labs or prescribers. Our editorial policy explains how pages like this are sourced and reviewed.