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Low testosterone quiz
Ten quick yes/no questions from the validated ADAM questionnaire. Answer them all to see whether your symptoms match the pattern associated with low testosterone — then decide whether to ask your doctor about a blood test.
Track symptoms & bloodwork in OptiPin
Log how you feel over time, record testosterone and SHBG results, and watch the trends — so a conversation with your doctor is backed by data. Already have labs? Try the free testosterone calculator.
Download on the App StoreAbout this quiz
What it is. These ten questions are the ADAM (Androgen Deficiency in the Aging Male) questionnaire, a screening tool developed at Saint Louis University. It doesn't measure testosterone — it checks whether your symptoms fit the cluster that often accompanies low levels.
How it's scored. The result is flagged as positive if you answer "yes" to question 1 (libido) or question 7 (erection strength), or "yes" to any three of the remaining questions.
Why a positive result isn't a diagnosis. Many of these symptoms — low energy, low mood, poor sleep, reduced drive — have causes that have nothing to do with testosterone, from thyroid issues to depression to simply not sleeping enough. That's why confirmation needs a blood test interpreted by a clinician. Learn more in the TRT guide and bloodwork reference.
Normal testosterone levels by age
Testosterone declines gradually with age. The figures below are a general adult-male reference — the range your own lab prints is what your doctor will actually compare against.
| Age | Low (ng/dL) | Normal (ng/dL) | Optimal (ng/dL) |
|---|
These assume a morning, fasted draw. Testosterone peaks early in the day and drifts down by afternoon, so a post-lunch sample reads much lower than an 8 am fasted one — which is why most guidelines call for two separate morning measurements before diagnosing low testosterone.
"In range" isn’t the same as "optimal." Someone in their 30s sitting near the bottom of the range is technically normal but can still be symptomatic, and many men feel noticeably better once levels sit toward the upper part of normal.
What blood work to ask for
If your screen is positive or symptoms persist, these are the labs worth requesting. The full bloodwork guide covers how to read them.
| Test | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Total testosterone | Your primary number — draw it in the morning, fasted. |
| Free testosterone | The unbound fraction your tissues can actually use; total can look fine while free is low. |
| SHBG | The protein that binds testosterone and takes it out of circulation — high SHBG can leave free T low despite a normal total. |
| LH | Points to the source: high LH with low T suggests a testicular (primary) cause; low LH with low T points upstream to the pituitary (secondary). |
| FSH | Read alongside LH; especially relevant if fertility is a consideration. |
| Estradiol (E2) | Excess estrogen can blunt testosterone and cause overlapping symptoms. |
| CBC | A baseline before treatment — includes hematocrit, which TRT can raise. |
| Metabolic panel | Baseline liver and kidney function. |
| Thyroid (TSH, Free T4) | Thyroid problems mimic many low-T symptoms — worth ruling out. |
| Prolactin | High prolactin can suppress testosterone; usually checked when T is very low. |
If your doctor prescribes TRT
Starting testosterone therapy can feel like a lot at once. The essentials:
- Initial effects usually appear in 4–8 weeks; full body-composition changes take 3–6 months.
- Expect ongoing blood work every 3–6 months to track levels and safety markers like hematocrit.
- Cadence matters — smaller, more frequent injections (daily or every other day) often feel steadier than one large weekly shot.
For what to expect, see the TRT injection guide, and work out your per-injection amount with the TRT dose calculator.