Testosterone

Testosterone is produced mainly in the testes and in smaller amounts by the ovaries and adrenal glands. Production is regulated through signalling among the hypothalamus, pituitary gland, and gonads. Although it is often described as a male hormone, people of all sexes produce it, with typical concentrations and life-stage patterns that differ.

Blood testing may report total testosterone, which includes hormone bound to proteins and the smaller unbound fraction. Sex hormone binding globulin and albumin affect how testosterone circulates, so total and free measurements can tell different parts of the story. Time of day, sleep, acute illness, medications, energy balance, assay method, and age can influence results.

Symptoms sometimes associated with low or high testosterone are not specific to one hormone state. Similar experiences can arise from sleep problems, mood conditions, medication effects, other endocrine changes, or general illness. Interpretation therefore combines laboratory data with history and clinical assessment. A result outside a laboratory range is information to evaluate, not by itself a diagnosis or a direction for hormone use.

Laboratory reports may use different units and reference intervals, and immunoassay and mass-spectrometry methods can perform differently across concentration ranges. A number copied without its unit, collection time, and assay context is incomplete. Trends are most interpretable when the comparison uses compatible methods and clearly documented conditions.

Related Previvo services: Men’s Hormone Program Winnipeg | Previvo.