Screening for androgen deficiency in women: methodological and interpretive issues.
OBJECTIVE
To appreciate the problems in obtaining and interpreting androgen levels in women.


METHODS
Review of the literature to compare various laboratories and methods of analysis of serum androgens.


METHODS
Normal control populations culled from the literature to compare with patients previously reported on by us; data from our laboratory quality control compared with data from the literature.


RESULTS
Investigators and laboratories disagree as to the best methods of measuring testosterone (T) levels in women. Measuring DHEAS levels is much less controversial.


CONCLUSIONS
Serum T levels should be measured in the morning hours and during the middle third of the menstrual cycle in premenopausal women. DHEAS levels may be measured at any time. Androgens decrease with age, but age-related levels are not accurate because current control populations have never been screened for sexual dysfunction. Such control populations need to be obtained.
Guay
André T
AT
Center For Sexual Function, Lahey Clinic Northshore, Peabody, Massachusetts 01960, USA. andre.t.guay@lahey.org
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000728:Androgens / Q000097:blood / Q000172:deficiency* / Q000378:metabolism; D019314:Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulfate / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013739:Testosterone / Q000097:blood*
D000728:Androgens; D013739:Testosterone; D019314:Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulfate