SHBG test

The protein that carries sex hormones in the blood.

€25.23. You pay at the desk, not online.

SHBG test: what it is for

SHBG is a protein made by your liver. The full name is sex hormone-binding globulin. It carries testosterone and oestrogens in your blood. While they are bound to it, these hormones do not act: so SHBG decides how much testosterone stays free to work.

When it is done

Almost always together with testosterone. In men with symptoms of low testosterone, it is used to work out free testosterone. In women with excess hair, acne or irregular periods, it shows how much androgen is really active.

On its own it says little. It is not a prevention test for people who feel well.

How the SHBG test is done

It is a blood test, done at a Bianalisi lab without a prescription. You can add other tests to the same draw.

Questions about the SHBG test.

How do I prepare for an SHBG test? It is usually done with testosterone, which is measured in the morning, before 10 am, and fasting. So follow the testosterone rules.

How much does the SHBG test cost? €25.23, from Bianalisi’s private list for Lombardy. You pay at the desk on the day of the draw, not online.

Do I need a prescription for the SHBG test? No. You book it here without a prescription and pay at the Bianalisi desk.

When do results arrive? Within 10 working days, in the Rosa app, with each value next to the lab’s interval. The report a doctor approves is in the Rosa membership.