High testosterone in women: what a high result can mean
A high testosterone result in a woman is a finding, not a diagnosis. It points a clinician toward a short list of possible causes, and which one applies depends on your symptoms, your cycle and your other tests. This page covers what the result can mean and when to see a clinician. It does not cover ways to change the number.
Free and total testosterone
Both numbers on one order, for less than the $108 they cost separately.
$99
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What counts as high
Your lab report prints a reference range, and “high” means above it. Ranges depend on the lab and method. For one published example, a study of 985 women aged 20 to 80 (the Study of Health in Pomerania) found the middle 95% of total testosterone results between 0.35 and 1.97 nmol/L, about 10 to 57 ng/dL (Haring et al., 2012). The PCOS guideline warns that ranges vary widely and are often built from groups that may include women with PCOS.
Symptoms that lead to the test
MedlinePlus says that in females the test is mostly used for symptoms of high testosterone. They include:
- Abnormal hair growth on the body or face
- Hair loss on the head that looks like male-pattern baldness, with thinning at the temples and top
- Voice changes
- Irregular or absent periods
- Difficulty getting pregnant
- Acne
Not every symptom predicts a high blood level equally. The 2023 PCOS guideline says excess hair growth on its own should be considered a predictor of high androgens in adults, while acne or scalp hair thinning without it are weaker predictors. The Endocrine Society’s hirsutism guideline suggests testing for high androgens in all women with an abnormal hirsutism score.
What can cause a high result
MedlinePlus lists these causes in women:
- PCOS. See the PCOS tests page for how it is diagnosed. A high testosterone level is one of three features, and no blood test alone diagnoses it.
- Ovarian problems, including ovarian cancer.
- Adrenal gland disorders, such as congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH).
- A pituitary gland disorder.
The PCOS guideline adds that when androgens are markedly above the lab’s range, causes other than PCOS should be considered. It names ovarian and adrenal tumours, congenital adrenal hyperplasia, Cushing’s syndrome, certain medicines and syndromes of severe insulin resistance, and, after menopause, a condition called ovarian hyperthecosis. It also says some androgen-producing tumours cause only mild to moderate rises. How fast symptoms appeared and progressed is critical, so a clinician will ask when they started.
Things that affect the number
- The combined birth control pill. The guideline says the pill raises SHBG and lowers androgen production, so androgens are very difficult to judge in women who take it. A 2025 review reports that combined pills lower both total and free testosterone.
- SHBG. Testosterone travels bound to SHBG and albumin. See high SHBG if your SHBG result is also out of range.
- Medicines. Tell the person who reads your test about everything you take. Do not stop a medicine unless your clinician says to.
Which test to order
For a high-testosterone question, the guideline says total and free testosterone should be used. The lowest-priced way to get both is the free and total order. Total testosterone alone costs less and gives you the first number. The seller’s page says fasting is not required for these orders. MedlinePlus says some people are asked to fast and that testosterone draws are usually done in the morning, between 7 and 10, so follow your lab order if you have one.
Sold by HealthLabs. Prices checked October 2026. Not available in ND, RI, NY, NJ, MD and HI. We earn a commission on sales.
See testosterone tests for women for the differences between the versions.
When to see a clinician
Take a high result to a clinician. They will look at it alongside your symptoms, your cycle history and other tests.
Do not wait if signs of high androgens are new, severe or getting worse quickly. The guideline says these need further investigation to rule out an androgen-producing tumour. Voice changes, which MedlinePlus lists among the symptoms, are worth raising promptly if they are new.
Free and total testosterone
$99
See this test at HealthLabsPrice checked October 2026. Not available in ND, RI, NY, NJ, MD and HI. We earn a commission on sales.
Keep reading
- Testosterone test for women: which one to order
Women make testosterone too. See what the test measures, total versus free, a published range for women, and which blood test is the lowest-priced fit.
- Low testosterone in women: what a low result can mean
Testosterone is low in women by nature. See what a low result can mean, why a single number rarely explains symptoms, and when to talk to a clinician.
- PCOS tests: which blood tests doctors order and which fit
No single blood test diagnoses PCOS. See how the international guideline diagnoses it, which labs are typically ordered, and the lowest-priced fits.
- High SHBG in women: causes and what the result means
High SHBG in a woman has several possible causes, including the birth control pill and an overactive thyroid. See what it means for testosterone and what to do next.
Sources
- Testosterone Levels Test (MedlinePlus)
- Recommendations From the 2023 International Evidence-based Guideline for the Assessment and Management of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (J Clin Endocrinol Metab, 2023)
- Evaluation and Treatment of Hirsutism in Premenopausal Women: An Endocrine Society Clinical Practice Guideline (2018)
- Age-specific reference ranges for serum testosterone and androstenedione concentrations in women (Haring et al., J Clin Endocrinol Metab, 2012)
- New Insights in the Diagnostic Potential of Sex Hormone-Binding Globulin (SHBG): Clinical Approach (Biomedicines, 2025)