The American Medical Association has adopted the Endocrine Society’s resolution encouraging the standardization of testosterone assays. Patient care and research utilizing testosterone assays has recently become popular, following research that links testosterone with various diseases and conditions. The assays measure testosterone levels for the diagnosis and treatment of such disorders as testicular or pituitary diseases in men, polycystic ovary syndrome in women, and early or late pubertal development in children. Despite being widely used, there are extensive inaccuracies with the tests. Measurement discrepancies and inaccuracies make them less useful and effective and threaten the health of patients, who depend on accurate results to provide the appropriate treatment. The resolution aims to prevent such problems by implementing increased measures of analytical accuracy and providing education about the assays to clinicians who use them.

Source: The Endocrine Society