A group of markers reviewed together
Testosterone is rarely read from a single number. On a hormone panel, several related markers are commonly measured together because each describes a different part of the picture: how much testosterone is present, how much is unbound, the protein that carries it, the pituitary signals above it, and a related adrenal androgen marker.
This page is a broad overview. It routes you to the dedicated pages for public reference examples and details, and it does not interpret what any value means, diagnose, or describe any course of action.
Testosterone-related biomarkers
Total Testosterone
The combined amount of testosterone in the blood — both the portion bound to carrier proteins and the small unbound fraction.
View Total Testosterone →Free Testosterone
The unbound fraction of testosterone, not attached to SHBG or albumin. Free testosterone is method-dependent.
View Free Testosterone →SHBG
Sex hormone-binding globulin, the main carrier protein that binds testosterone and shapes how much is bound versus unbound.
View SHBG →LH and FSH
Luteinizing hormone and follicle-stimulating hormone — pituitary signals within the reproductive axis.
View LH and FSH →DHEA-S
Dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate, an adrenal androgen-related marker sometimes reviewed alongside testosterone.
View DHEA-S →How these markers relate
- Total testosterone includes both bound and unbound testosterone — the combined amount circulating in the blood.
- Free testosterone is the unbound fraction, not attached to a carrier protein.
- SHBG affects how much testosterone is bound versus unbound, so it shapes the relationship between total and free.
- LH and FSH provide pituitary-gonadal signaling context within the reproductive axis.
- DHEA-S is an adrenal androgen-related marker sometimes reviewed alongside testosterone.
Read together, these markers give a fuller educational picture than any single value. This page does not diagnose, does not interpret an individual value, and does not describe any course of action. Any individual measurement should be discussed with a licensed healthcare provider.
Units and reference ranges vary
Each of these markers is reported in its own units, and reference ranges vary by laboratory, assay, method, age, sex, and population. Free testosterone in particular is method-dependent, so figures from different methods are not directly comparable.
This overview does not list detailed ranges. For public reference examples, see the dedicated Total Testosterone and Free Testosterone pages.
Where a measurement is available, Pepvela prioritizes the reference range printed on your own lab report. Public reference examples are shown for education only and are not a determination about any individual.
Citations
- MedlinePlus. Testosterone Levels Test. U.S. National Library of Medicine. https://medlineplus.gov/lab-tests/testosterone-levels-test/
- Nassar GN, Leslie SW. Physiology, Testosterone. StatPearls. NCBI Bookshelf. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK526128/
- Winters SJ. Laboratory Assessment of Testicular Function. Endotext. NCBI Bookshelf. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK279145/