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This Testosterone Panel Includes 5 Tests:

• Testosterone, Total, LC/MS (most accurate testosterone test for men with high testosterone and women, no upper or lower limit)
• Testosterone, Free. Free testosterone is best calculated based on the LC/MS-derived total testosterone and equilibrium dialysis-derived percent free levels. 
• Testosterone, Bioavailable. Bioavailable testosterone is calculated based on the LC/MS/MS-derived total testosterone,  free testosterone levels, albumin and SHBG.
• Sex Hormone Binding Globulin (SHBG)
• Albumin

Note: Despite SHBG not being listed on the lab requisition form under "Testosterone, Free, Bioavailable, and Total, Males (Adult)," rest assured the results include this critical component, as it's necessary for calculating bioavailable testosterone.

This panel includes: Testosterone, Total, LC/MS and Free (Equilibrium Dialysis), and 17-OH-progesterone, a metabolite that has been correlated with sperm production.

Testosterone Replacement Therapy (TRT) shuts down upstream hormones like LH and FSH required for sperm production, so men on TRT generally have a difficult time fathering a child. Some studies show that adding hCG to a TRT protocol may improve sperm production since hCG is an analog of LH that could stimulate sperm production. But optimizing hCG dose and frequency based on sperm count can be a time consuming process since it takes at least 8 weeks to see changes in sperm tests. Fortunately, there is an easier way by measuring 17-OH-progesterone to predict the efficacy of the hCG+TRT protocol without having to wait for 8 weeks between hCG dose/frequency changes.