Different providers use different treatment thresholds. We follow the BSSM (British Society for Sexual Medicine) guidelines, which don’t always align with the thresholds used by the NHS.
For a bit of context:
- The NHS generally only offers testosterone therapy to men with levels below 8 nmol/L, and sometimes even lower.
- However, clinical signs of low testosterone can appear at higher levels, which means many men with noticeable symptoms may not be eligible for treatment under NHS guidance.
- The NHS also typically tests only total testosterone. Research shows that some men, particularly older patients or those in poorer health, can have low calculated free testosterone even when their total testosterone appears “normal”, which can lead to missed diagnoses.
Our own treatment thresholds are:
- Total testosterone: 15 nmol/L or below
- Free testosterone: 0.35 nmol/L or below
All of our blood tests are processed by a UKAS-accredited lab, so they’re clinically valid. We simply use different thresholds from the NHS.