SHBG blood test
Sex hormone-binding globulin
In short
A typical adult SHBG result is 18.2 to 135.5 nmol/L for women (before menopause), 16.8 to 125.2 nmol/L for women (after menopause) and 13.3 to 89.5 nmol/L for men. A high SHBG leaves less testosterone free for the body to use. It is common with birth control pills, pregnancy, an overactive thyroid and, in men, with age. Always read your result against the range printed on your own report.
A carrier protein that holds testosterone and estrogen in the blood.
SHBG (sex hormone-binding globulin) is made mostly in the liver. It holds on to testosterone and estrogen and controls how much of them is free for the body to use. Doctors check it to make sense of a testosterone result that looks borderline or doesn't fit symptoms.
Is my SHBG high or low?
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Typical range
| For | Range | Unit |
|---|---|---|
| Female · before menopause | 18.2–135.5 | nmol/L |
| Female · after menopause | 16.8–125.2 | nmol/L |
| Male | 13.3–89.5 | nmol/L |
Typical ranges for adults. Labs differ a little, so the range printed next to your result is the one to go by.
If your SHBG is high
A high SHBG leaves less testosterone free for the body to use. It is common with birth control pills, pregnancy, an overactive thyroid and, in men, with age.
Common reasons
- Birth control pills or hormone therapy containing estrogen
- Getting older, in men, as SHBG rises slowly with age
- Thyroid medicine, or an overactive thyroid
- Pregnancy, which raises SHBG a lot
- Very low body weight or an eating disorder
- Less often: liver conditions, such as hepatitis or cirrhosis (liver scarring)
If your SHBG is low
A low SHBG leaves more testosterone free. It often goes with extra body weight, high blood sugar or PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome).
Common reasons
- Extra body weight
- Insulin resistance (poor response to insulin) or type 2 diabetes
- PCOS, a common hormone condition, in women
- An underactive thyroid
- Male hormone treatment or muscle-building steroids
- Less often: Cushing's syndrome, a rare excess of the stress hormone cortisol
What can throw it off
Birth control pills, hormone therapy, pregnancy, thyroid problems and weight changes can all shift SHBG.
Questions to take to your appointment
- 1How does my SHBG change the way you read my testosterone?
- 2Could my weight, thyroid or medicines be affecting it?
- 3Should my blood sugar or thyroid be checked too?
Read together with
Doctors rarely read SHBG alone. These usually sit next to it.
Quick answers
What is the SHBG blood test?
SHBG (Sex hormone-binding globulin): A carrier protein that holds testosterone and estrogen in the blood. SHBG (sex hormone-binding globulin) is made mostly in the liver. It holds on to testosterone and estrogen and controls how much of them is free for the body to use. Doctors check it to make sense of a testosterone result that looks borderline or doesn't fit symptoms.
What is a normal SHBG level?
For most adults, SHBG is typically 18.2 to 135.5 nmol/L for women (before menopause), 16.8 to 125.2 nmol/L for women (after menopause) and 13.3 to 89.5 nmol/L for men. Labs differ a little, so the range printed next to your result is the one to go by.
What does a high SHBG mean?
A high SHBG leaves less testosterone free for the body to use. It is common with birth control pills, pregnancy, an overactive thyroid and, in men, with age. Common reasons include birth control pills or hormone therapy containing estrogen; getting older, in men, as SHBG rises slowly with age; thyroid medicine, or an overactive thyroid; and pregnancy, which raises SHBG a lot. A doctor reads it together with your other results and how you feel.
What does a low SHBG mean?
A low SHBG leaves more testosterone free. It often goes with extra body weight, high blood sugar or PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome). Common reasons include extra body weight; insulin resistance (poor response to insulin) or type 2 diabetes; PCOS, a common hormone condition, in women; and an underactive thyroid.
What can affect my SHBG result?
Birth control pills, hormone therapy, pregnancy, thyroid problems and weight changes can all shift SHBG.
What should I ask my doctor about my SHBG?
Questions worth taking to the appointment: How does my SHBG change the way you read my testosterone? Could my weight, thyroid or medicines be affecting it? Should my blood sugar or thyroid be checked too?
What this page can’t do
It reads each number on its own.
Doctors read results together — ALT with AST, ferritin with hemoglobin, TSH with free T4. A pattern says more than any single flag.
It doesn't know you.
Your age, your medicines, how you feel and your last result all change what a number means.
It doesn't remember.
Close this page and your results are gone. That's on purpose: nothing was ever sent to us.
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