Why We Order Bloods

Blood tests are the backbone of good hormone treatment. They're how your clinician confirms your treatment is working, catches anything that needs attention early, and adjusts your care with precision. Without them, we're guessing. With them, we can be exact.

What we're checking, and why

Your testosterone tells us the most direct thing: is your treatment doing its job? We check both your total level and the portion your body can actually use, to confirm you're sitting in a range that's healthy for you — not too low to feel the benefit, not higher than you need.

Your oestrogen might sound out of place in men's health, but it's closely tied to testosterone — some of your testosterone naturally converts into it. When that balance drifts, it shows up in how you feel: mood, energy, sleep, libido. Watching both sides keeps the balance right.

Your red blood cells matter because TRT can nudge your body to make more of them. A little is fine; too many thickens the blood and becomes a safety issue. It develops quietly, with no symptoms you'd notice — which is exactly why we test for it rather than wait for it.

Your general health markers — things like cholesterol, liver and kidney function, thyroid and inflammation — round out the picture. They tell us how your body as a whole is travelling, and catch anything unrelated to treatment that deserves attention. Your panel is tailored to your plan and your age, and your clinician reads it all in the context of you — your goals, your history — not a generic population chart.

Why we test more than most clinics

A lot of clinics run the bare minimum — a testosterone number and not much else. We deliberately go further. The more complete the picture, the better your doctor understands who you are, what's driving how you feel, and what your treatment should look like. That depth is the difference between guessing and knowing, and it's a core part of how we work.

The Initial Assessment Panel — for new patients

Every new patient starts here, and it becomes the baseline your future results are compared against. It's a walk-in collection at any collection centre — $220, booked from the Bloods section of your portal. What's covered:

• Free and total testosterone
• Oestradiol (E2) and SHBG
• FSH, LH, prolactin and progesterone
• DHEAS and cortisol
• Thyroid (TSH, FT3, FT4)
• Liver function (LFT) and kidney function (UEC)
• Cholesterol (Chol, TG, HDL, LDL) and glucose
• High-sensitivity CRP (inflammation marker)
• Full blood count and iron studies
• Magnesium

The 3- or 6-month Check-in Panel — for ongoing treatment

Once you're on treatment, this is the regular check-in — every 3 or 6 months to track progress and keep treatment safe. Walk-in collection at any collection centre — $180, booked from the same place in your portal. What's covered:

• Free and total testosterone
• Oestradiol (E2) and SHBG
• Prolactin and progesterone
• FSH and LH
• DHEAS and cortisol
• Insulin
• Thyroid (TSH, FT3, FT4)
• Full blood count
• Kidney and liver function

How the testing schedule works

Your testing follows your treatment, step by step:

1. Your initial test. Every new patient starts with the Initial Assessment Panel — the full baseline picture above.
2. A secondary test. As a new patient you'll do a follow-up test early in treatment — we'll send you everything you need when the time is right.
3. Your 3-month check. If you're new to treatment, we test again at three months to see exactly where your hormone levels have landed.
4. Then every 6 months. From there you move to a 6-monthly check-in, which is part of your prescription and your renewal with the doctor.

We do it this way so you always know exactly where you're at and how you're responding to your medication — and so your doctor can keep tailoring a treatment plan that's personal to you, not a one-size-fits-all protocol.

Booking your renewal: how it works

When your renewal comes around, it all happens in your portal — and the order matters. Your bloods need to be done, uploaded and paid for before you can book your appointment, so get your collection done a few days ahead and allow about a week overall:

1. Purchase your bloods from the Bloods section of your portal — do this first.
2. Get your collection done at any collection centre — a few days before you'll want your appointment.
3. Upload your results and pay in the portal.
4. Our nurse reviews your bloods so the doctor has everything ready.
5. You'll receive a booking link — choose a time in the doctor's calendar for your renewal consult.

If you skip them

We can't safely adjust your dose or confidently renew your prescription, and something easy to fix early can become a real problem. If your next test is overdue, book it this week — a short delay is better than a long one.

Making it easy

• Follow the timing instructions on your test request — for some markers, timing relative to your last dose or meal affects accuracy.
• Book promptly — same week as the request if you can.
• Keep your results handy. When they come through, you'll upload them in your portal as part of your renewal — so save the file somewhere easy to find.

Test due or overdue? Message the care team and we'll get it sorted. The men who stay on top of their bloods are the ones who get the most out of their treatment.