Among 1,181 Vively women, median total testosterone was 0.8 nmol/L at 18 to 29, 0.7 from 30 to 59 and 0.6 at 60 and over. The free androgen index (FAI) fell further, from a median of 1.8 in the 20s to 1.0 to 1.3 from 30, as SHBG rose. Fewer than 3% had a total testosterone above their lab’s range.
Women make testosterone in the ovaries and adrenal glands, and before menopause they make more of it than oestrogen. It plays a part in sex drive, energy, muscle and bone. Too much is a feature of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), the most common hormone condition in women of reproductive age.
Most testosterone charts online are for men. This guide uses the first blood test of 1,181 Vively women to show total testosterone, the free androgen index and SHBG by age, next to the ranges Australian labs use.
Testosterone, SHBG and the free androgen index are in the Female Hormone Health, Perimenopause and Menopause Hormone tests, which you add to your Baseline Health Check.
Median and middle 50% (in brackets) for total testosterone, the free androgen index (FAI), SHBG and free testosterone. 1,181 women.
| Age | Women | Total testosterone (nmol/L) | FAI | SHBG (nmol/L) | Free testosterone (pmol/L) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18 to 29 | 69 | 0.8 (0.7 to 1.0) | 1.8 (1.0 to 2.6) | 47 (33 to 66) | 12 (8 to 16) |
| 30 to 39 | 305 | 0.7 (0.6 to 0.9) | 1.3 (1.0 to 2.0) | 57 (43 to 75) | 9 (7 to 12) |
| 40 to 49 | 396 | 0.7 (0.5 to 0.8) | 1.0 (0.8 to 1.6) | 62 (44 to 85) | 8 (6 to 11) |
| 50 to 59 | 287 | 0.7 (0.5 to 0.9) | 1.2 (0.9 to 2.0) | 57 (40 to 79) | 9 (6 to 12) |
| 60 and over | 124 | 0.6 (0.5 to 0.8) | 1.1 (0.8 to 1.9) | 59 (43 to 80) | 8 (5 to 11) |
Ranges used in the Vively app for women: total testosterone 0.5 to 3.2 nmol/L, FAI 0.7 to 8.6, SHBG 20 to 110 nmol/L. Free testosterone ranges vary between labs. Labs report total testosterone to one decimal place, so small differences between ages are rounding.
The free androgen index fell most between the 20s and 40s, then held steady, with no drop at menopause. The line is the median at each age. The darker band is the middle 50%, the lighter band the middle 80% of women. 1,169 women.
| Group (%) | Members | 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Women 18 to 29 | 68 | 0.8 | 1.0 | 1.8 | 2.6 | 4.1 |
| Women 30 to 39 | 304 | 0.7 | 1.0 | 1.3 | 2.0 | 3.0 |
| Women 40 to 49 | 393 | 0.5 | 0.8 | 1.0 | 1.6 | 2.6 |
| Women 50 to 59 | 281 | 0.6 | 0.9 | 1.2 | 2.0 | 2.9 |
| Women 60+ | 123 | 0.6 | 0.8 | 1.1 | 1.9 | 2.8 |
Type your total testosterone to see where it sits among Vively women your age.
| Group (nmol/L) | Members | 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Women 18 to 29 | 69 | 0.5 | 0.7 | 0.8 | 1.0 | 1.2 |
| Women 30 to 39 | 305 | 0.5 | 0.6 | 0.7 | 0.9 | 1.1 |
| Women 40 to 49 | 396 | 0.4 | 0.5 | 0.7 | 0.8 | 1.0 |
| Women 50 to 59 | 287 | 0.4 | 0.5 | 0.7 | 0.9 | 1.1 |
| Women 60+ | 124 | 0.4 | 0.5 | 0.6 | 0.8 | 1.1 |
Type your free androgen index (FAI) to see where it sits among Vively women your age.
| Group (%) | Members | 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Women 18 to 29 | 68 | 0.8 | 1.0 | 1.8 | 2.6 | 4.1 |
| Women 30 to 39 | 304 | 0.7 | 1.0 | 1.3 | 2.0 | 3.0 |
| Women 40 to 49 | 393 | 0.5 | 0.8 | 1.0 | 1.6 | 2.6 |
| Women 50 to 59 | 281 | 0.6 | 0.9 | 1.2 | 2.0 | 2.9 |
| Women 60+ | 123 | 0.6 | 0.8 | 1.1 | 1.9 | 2.8 |
SHBG rose from a median of 47 nmol/L in women in their 20s to 57 to 62 nmol/L from 30. The line is the median at each age. The darker band is the middle 50%, the lighter band the middle 90% of women. 1,176 women.
| Group (nmol/L) | Members | 5th | 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | 95th |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Women 18 to 29 | 69 | 21 | 24 | 33 | 47 | 66 | 85 | 100 |
| Women 30 to 39 | 304 | 25 | 30 | 43 | 57 | 75 | 99 | 122 |
| Women 40 to 49 | 397 | 24 | 29 | 44 | 62 | 85 | 119 | 142 |
| Women 50 to 59 | 283 | 21 | 29 | 40 | 57 | 79 | 109 | 136 |
| Women 60+ | 123 | 21 | 26 | 43 | 59 | 80 | 108 | 131 |
These are Vively members who chose to add a hormone test, so they may not represent all Australian women. Some may have had symptoms, cycle day isn't recorded, and we can't exclude women taking the pill, HRT or testosterone. A member median is not a target or a normal range.
In Vively women, total testosterone fell a little with age: the median was 0.8 nmol/L at 18 to 29, 0.7 nmol/L from 30 to 59 and 0.6 nmol/L at 60 and over. The middle half of women sat between about 0.5 and 1.0 nmol/L at every age.
The free androgen index, which adjusts testosterone for SHBG, fell further. The median was 1.8 in women aged 18 to 29 and 1.0 to 1.3 from 30 onwards. Over the same ages, median SHBG rose from 47 to 57 to 62 nmol/L, and median free testosterone fell from 12 to 8 or 9 pmol/L.
The biggest change came between the 20s and 40s, not at menopause. An Australian study of 1,423 women in Victoria found the same: testosterone fell most steeply in the early reproductive years, and natural menopause made no extra difference. Women who had both ovaries removed had lower levels.
Women's testosterone levels are about a tenth of men's, so labs need sensitive methods to measure them, and ranges vary more between labs than for most tests. Read your result against the range on your report. The ranges used in the Vively app are:
| Range used in the Vively app | |
|---|---|
| Total testosterone, women | 0.5 to 3.2 nmol/L |
| Free androgen index (FAI), women | 0.7 to 8.6 |
| SHBG, women | 20 to 110 nmol/L |
Across age groups, fewer than 3% of Vively women had a total testosterone above the range on their own lab report, and up to 4% were below it. Fewer than 2% had an FAI above their lab's range.
That is why a normal total testosterone can still come with a high FAI, if SHBG is low.
The most common cause is PCOS. The 2023 international PCOS guideline, led from Monash University, recommends calculated free testosterone, the FAI or calculated bioavailable testosterone to check for high androgens, rather than total testosterone alone. PCOS is diagnosed in adults when two of these three are present: irregular or absent periods, high androgens (on a blood test, or as excess hair growth or acne), and polycystic ovaries on ultrasound or a high AMH.
A high FAI often goes with low SHBG and insulin resistance, so it is worth checking fasting insulin and HOMA-IR at the same time. Less common causes include congenital adrenal hyperplasia, Cushing's syndrome and, rarely, a hormone-producing tumour. A total testosterone well above the range, or fast-developing signs such as a deepening voice, rapid hair growth or balding at the temples, needs prompt GP review.
A low result on its own doesn't diagnose anything. The Global Consensus Position Statement on testosterone therapy for women says blood testosterone can't tell which women have symptoms, and that the only proven reason for testosterone treatment in women is low sexual desire that causes distress after menopause. Even then, the blood test is used to check treatment stays within the range for premenopausal women, not to make the diagnosis.
Common reasons for low testosterone or FAI include the combined pill (which raises SHBG), oral oestrogen, having had both ovaries removed, and ageing. Low energy and low mood have many causes, so look at iron, thyroid and sleep too.
See your GP if your testosterone or FAI is above the range on your report, especially with irregular periods, excess facial or body hair, acne or thinning hair. See a GP promptly for fast-developing signs such as a deepening voice or rapid hair growth. If low sexual desire is distressing you after menopause, a GP or menopause specialist can talk through the options, including testosterone.
Total testosterone, SHBG, the free androgen index, free testosterone and bioavailable testosterone are in the Female Hormone Health Test, the Perimenopause Hormone Test and the Menopause Hormone Test, which you add to your Baseline Health Check. The Baseline includes fasting insulin and HOMA-IR, so your androgens are read with your metabolic health. You don't need a referral from your own GP: a doctor in our network reviews and signs your request. You have one blood draw at one of our 3,700+ partner collection centres, and your results arrive in the Vively app, usually within a few days. A Vively practitioner explains them with your cycle, contraception and symptoms.
The range used in the Vively app for women's total testosterone is 0.5 to 3.2 nmol/L, and lab ranges vary. Among 1,181 Vively women, the median was 0.6 to 0.8 nmol/L depending on age, and the middle half sat between about 0.5 and 1.0 nmol/L.
Yes, slowly, and mostly before 40. In Vively women, median total testosterone fell from 0.8 nmol/L in the 20s to 0.6 at 60 and over, and the free androgen index fell from 1.8 to about 1.0 to 1.3. Australian research shows no extra drop at natural menopause.
The range used in the Vively app is 0.7 to 8.6, and lab ranges vary. Among Vively women, the median FAI was 1.8 at 18 to 29 and 1.0 to 1.3 from 30 onwards. Fewer than 2% had an FAI above their lab's range.
A high FAI means more of your testosterone is active, usually because testosterone is raised, SHBG is low, or both. The most common cause is PCOS, often with insulin resistance. It is read with your periods, symptoms and an ultrasound or AMH, so see your GP.
No. A total testosterone of 0.6 nmol/L is inside the range used in the Vively app (0.5 to 3.2 nmol/L) and close to the median for Vively women. A single number doesn't explain symptoms such as low sex drive or tiredness.
On day 2 to 5 of your cycle if you have periods, in the morning. If you take the combined pill, your result will reflect the pill. Ask your GP before stopping it for a test.
Vively supports preventative health and health optimisation. It does not replace your GP, emergency care or specialist medical advice.
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