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Free Androgen Index Test Home kit
Hormones · home kit

Free Androgen Index Test

Testosterone, SHBG and your Free Androgen Index — an estimate of how much active testosterone is circulating, most often used when looking into polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and androgen-related symptoms in women.

Price £98 £79.99
Covers 4 markers
Type Home kit · posted to you
Order just this kit
Blood sample, collected at home
Collect in the morning. If you have regular periods, days 2–5 of your cycle are ideal. Stop biotin supplements 48 hours before.
Free delivery — posted to any UK address
Results explained by our clinical team
About this test

Everything you need to know about Free Androgen Index Test

Testosterone is not only a male hormone: women make it too, in smaller amounts, and levels that run high can cause irregular periods, acne, thinning scalp hair or extra hair on the face and body. Most testosterone in the blood is bound tightly to a protein called sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG), and only the unbound part is active.

The Free Androgen Index compares your testosterone with your SHBG to estimate how much is free to act. In women it is one of the blood tests used when PCOS is being considered, alongside your symptoms and, where needed, an ultrasound. Men can take it too, although for men the Free Testosterone Test is usually the better choice. Our clinical team explains your results and the sensible next steps.

What's measured

What's included

4 markers in this test

Albumin Free Androgen Index Sex Hormone Binding Globulin (SHBG) Testosterone
TestosteroneThe total amount in your blood, bound and unbound.
Sex Hormone Binding Globulin (SHBG)The protein that locks testosterone away — low SHBG leaves more of it active.
Free Androgen IndexTestosterone compared with SHBG — an estimate of active androgen.
AlbuminA second, weaker carrier protein, reported alongside.
Who it's for

Worth considering if

  • Irregular or absent periods, acne or excess facial or body hair
  • Looking into possible polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)
  • Thinning scalp hair in women
  • Following up a previous raised testosterone result
Important: A home test is not a diagnosis on its own. Where something needs looking at, we tell you what it means and what to do next. If you are unwell now, please see your GP or call 111 rather than waiting for a kit.
What to expect

Your home kit

1

Order online

Add the kit to your order — several kits can go in one order — and enter your delivery address. We post it to your door as soon as your payment reaches us, with free delivery.

2

Collect your sample at home

Follow the step-by-step instructions in the box. Collect in the morning. If you have regular periods, days 2–5 of your cycle are ideal. Stop biotin supplements 48 hours before. Post the sample back the same day, Monday to Thursday, in the return packaging provided.

3

Results explained

Your results are released to your account with a written explanation from our clinical team.

Frequently Asked

Free Androgen Index Test — FAQs

Can this diagnose PCOS?
Not on its own. PCOS is diagnosed from a combination of irregular or absent ovulation, signs of raised androgens (in symptoms or blood tests) and, in some cases, the appearance of the ovaries on ultrasound, once other causes have been ruled out. This kit gives you the blood part of that picture to take to your GP or specialist.
Does hormonal contraception affect the result?
Yes. The combined pill raises SHBG, which lowers the Free Androgen Index and can hide raised androgens. If you use hormonal contraception, tell us so our clinician can interpret your result with that in mind.
When should I collect my sample?
In the morning, when testosterone is highest. If you have regular periods, the early part of your cycle (days 2–5) is ideal; if your periods are irregular or absent, any day is fine.
Is this the right test for men?
Men can take it, but the Free Androgen Index is less reliable in men because their testosterone and SHBG are much higher. The Free Testosterone Test or Advanced Testosterone Monitoring is usually more useful.
How does the kit reach me?
We post it to your address anywhere in the UK as soon as your order is paid, and email you when it has been dispatched. Delivery is free on every home blood test kit. Everything you need to collect your sample and send it back is in the box.
How do I collect the sample?
Your kit contains everything you need and step-by-step instructions. Read them through first, collect at the time of day this test needs (see the preparation note above), label the sample and pack it in the return packaging provided.
When should I post my sample back?
On the day you collect it, Monday to Thursday, and not the day before a bank holiday — so it reaches the laboratory quickly and does not sit in the post over a weekend. A sample that arrives too old may not be able to be analysed.
Can I order several kits at once?
Yes. Use “Add to order” on each kit and then “Order” in the bar at the bottom — they go into one order and one payment and are posted together. Clinic blood tests are booked separately, because they need an appointment rather than an address.
How do I pay?
Home kit orders are paid by bank transfer. When you place your order we show our bank details and your payment reference on screen and by email, and we post your kit as soon as the payment reaches us.
How do I get my results?
Once the laboratory has analysed your sample, your results are released to your secure account with a written explanation from our clinical team, and a call where something needs talking through. Turnaround depends on the test and starts when the laboratory receives your sample.
More home test kits

Often ordered together

Add several kits to one order — one payment, posted together.

Hormones Free Testosterone Test £107 £84.99
Hormones Hormone & Thyroid Health Check £153.74 £122.99
Hormones Advanced Testosterone Monitoring £101 £89.99
Hormones Hormone Health £125 £99.99
Hormones Stress Hormone £118 £94.99
Heart & metabolism Apolipoprotein Balance £125 £99.99
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