GP Says Your Testosterone Is Normal? What That Means in NZ

In short: "normal" usually means your result sat inside the lab's reference range, which for NZ men aged 20 to 50 starts at about 8.6 to 9 nmol/L. That's a statistical range, not a treatment threshold, and guidelines draw the diagnostic line in different places. Before you accept the result or ask for another look, check four things: was it a morning sample, was it repeated, was SHBG measured so free testosterone could be calculated, and do you have the specific symptoms of low testosterone?

Being told your testosterone is fine when you feel anything but fine is frustrating. Sometimes the GP is completely right and the answer lies elsewhere. Sometimes the test wasn't done in a way that can answer the question. This guide explains how to tell which, what your GP can and can't do in New Zealand, and how to get a second opinion.

What "normal" on your testosterone result means

A "normal" result usually comes down to one or more of three things, and they can all be true at once.

1. Your result is inside the lab range. NZ laboratories publish reference ranges for adult men. For men up to 50, LabPLUS and Awanui use 8.7–29 nmol/L (ages 20–50) and Canterbury Health Laboratories 8.6–29 nmol/L (ages 15–50). The Waikato laboratory uses 9–30 nmol/L for all adult men. For men over 50, LabPLUS, Awanui and Canterbury use 6.7–26 nmol/L (LabPLUS; Awanui; Canterbury Health Laboratories; Waikato). A result of 10 or 11 is flagged as normal on all of them. Our article on normal testosterone levels in NZ sets every published range side by side.

2. NZ primary-care guidance sets a lower bar. BPAC, which writes guidance for NZ GPs, says local expert opinion is that the threshold for diagnosing low testosterone and starting treatment should be low, under 8 nmol/L. For two morning results between 8 and 12 nmol/L, it suggests the GP consider discussing them with an endocrinologist. It also notes that many older men have levels under 12 nmol/L and don't need treatment (BPAC NZ 2024).

3. Your symptoms may have another cause. Tiredness, low mood and weight gain are common with normal testosterone. Your GP will usually look at sleep, mood, alcohol, thyroid, iron and blood sugar before hormones.

Is 10.7 nmol/L low testosterone?

It depends on which line you use, and one result can't answer it on its own. That's because a reference range and a diagnostic threshold are different things.

A reference range describes where most results from a reference group of men fall. By design, a small share of healthy men sit below it, and sitting inside it doesn't prove your level is right for you.

Diagnostic thresholds are a separate, clinical judgement, and the main guidelines don't agree on one number:

Sources: BPAC NZ 2024; Bhasin et al., 2018; EAU Guidelines.

So a result of 10.7 or 11 nmol/L can be normal by the lab range, above BPAC's under-8 threshold but inside the 8–12 band where BPAC suggests a GP consider talking to an endocrinologist, and below the European urology cut-off, all at once. A GP who calls it normal is reading it the way New Zealand's primary-care guidance does. Enhanced Men diagnoses low testosterone when a man has symptoms and two morning results, three to four weeks apart, both below 12 nmol/L total testosterone (the European Association of Urology threshold) or 225 pmol/L free testosterone. Above that line is not low testosterone, and we don't prescribe for it. With symptoms, one result under 12 is a reason to repeat the test properly, not to start treatment.

Why won't my GP prescribe testosterone?

GPs in New Zealand can prescribe testosterone, and BPAC says primary care clinicians may start it when it's clearly indicated (BPAC NZ 2024). Our guide on getting testosterone treatment in NZ covers the GP pathway. A GP may reasonably decline when:

• your results are above their diagnostic threshold
• a reversible cause, such as weight, alcohol, sleep apnoea or a medicine, should be treated first
• you want children soon, because testosterone treatment suppresses sperm production (Bhasin et al., 2018)
• you have a condition that makes testosterone unsafe, such as a high red cell count or certain cancers (BPAC NZ 2024)
• they'd prefer an endocrinologist to make the call

If your GP won't prescribe, ask why. "Your result is above the line I use" is a different conversation from "I don't prescribe testosterone".

Total vs free testosterone, and three other things to check

Four questions decide whether your result has actually answered the question.

Ask for a copy of your results. Rule 6 of the Health Information Privacy Code 2020 gives you the right to access your own health information (Privacy Commissioner). Then check:

1. Was it a morning sample? Testosterone peaks in the morning. BPAC advises testing between 7 and 11 am, ideally after an overnight fast, or two to three hours after waking for shift workers. An afternoon result can read low, or normal, and either way it's hard to interpret.

2. Was it repeated? A single result can't confirm low testosterone. BPAC advises repeating a result below the lab's reference range, preferably about four weeks later. Acute illness, or recent food (especially carbohydrate) or alcohol, can lower a result temporarily (BPAC NZ 2024).

3. Was SHBG measured? Most testosterone in the blood is bound to SHBG. If your SHBG is high (common with age (Feldman et al., 2002), and with some medical conditions), your total testosterone can look normal while the free, usable fraction is low. If your SHBG is low (common with excess weight (Fui et al., 2014)), the reverse can happen. BPAC doesn't recommend measuring SHBG routinely, but recommends a calculated free testosterone where there's uncertainty, and says a free testosterone under 220 pmol/L in a man with symptoms likely indicates low testosterone (BPAC NZ 2024). Enhanced Men uses 225 pmol/L.

4. Do you have the specific symptoms? The three symptoms most specifically linked to low testosterone are low sexual desire, fewer morning erections and erectile dysfunction (Wu et al., 2010). If your main symptoms are tiredness and low mood without those, a normal result is more likely to be the right answer.

If the answers are "yes, yes, yes, no", your GP is probably right, and the next step is looking at the other causes. If the test was a single afternoon sample, or your total testosterone was close to a cut-off and SHBG wasn't measured, the result hasn't answered the question yet.

Can you be prescribed testosterone if your levels are normal?

Not under the guidelines, and that's deliberate. Guidelines reserve testosterone for men with symptoms and consistently low levels (Bhasin et al., 2018). Taking it when your own levels are normal doesn't fix symptoms caused by something else, and it carries real downsides, including suppressed sperm production and a rise in red blood cells (Bhasin et al., 2018). Healthify, New Zealand's health information service, says the same: men whose levels are in the bottom of the normal range, but still normal, aren't usually treated (Healthify). The useful question isn't how to get a prescription, but whether your result was measured in a way that can be trusted.

How to get a second opinion

You have three routes:

1. Ask your GP to discuss your results with an endocrinologist or refer you. BPAC suggests this for two morning results between 8 and 12 nmol/L. Public waiting times vary by region.
2. See a private endocrinologist. A referral letter from your GP helps, and fees vary.
3. See a private doctor. Enhanced Men, which publishes this guide, is a New Zealand telehealth clinic run by Dr Jack Yeoman, who does every consult himself. He's registered with the Medical Council of New Zealand in general scope (MCNZ 89436). General scope isn't a specialist registration, and it isn't general practice either: he isn't vocationally registered as an endocrinologist, a urologist or a GP, and he refers you on when your case needs a specialist. You see him by video wherever you live in New Zealand, with no GP referral. Your bloods are taken at your local community lab; if you're eligible for publicly funded healthcare, funded tests cost you nothing, and the lab bills you for any test that isn't funded. He diagnoses low testosterone only when you have symptoms and two morning results, three to four weeks apart, both below 12 nmol/L total or 225 pmol/L free testosterone. Above that line is not low testosterone, and he doesn't prescribe for it. Testosterone treatment usually suppresses sperm production. If you may want children, say so before you start. Bring your results and he'll tell you whether they answer the question or need repeating.

Whichever route you take, bring copies of every result with the time each sample was taken.

FAQ

Is 10.7 nmol/L low testosterone? By NZ lab ranges and BPAC's local threshold (under 8 nmol/L), no: lab ranges for men aged 20 to 50 start at about 8.6 to 9 nmol/L. The European urology guideline uses 12 nmol/L, so 10.7 is below that cut-off. If you have the specific symptoms, one result under 12 is a reason to repeat the test in the morning with SHBG; it isn't a diagnosis on its own.

Can I have low testosterone with a normal test result? Sometimes. A single result, an afternoon sample, or a normal total testosterone with high SHBG can all hide low free testosterone. Two morning results with SHBG, so free testosterone can be calculated, give a clearer answer.

Can you be prescribed testosterone if your levels are normal? Not under the guidelines. Testosterone is reserved for men with symptoms and consistently low levels. If your levels are normal, it won't fix symptoms with another cause and it brings risks, including lower sperm production and a rise in red blood cells. If you doubt the result, the step is a proper repeat test, not a prescription.

Why won't my GP prescribe testosterone? Common reasons are results above their diagnostic threshold, a reversible cause that should be treated first, plans to have children soon, a medical reason testosterone would be unsafe, or a preference for an endocrinologist to decide. Ask your GP which applies to you.

How do I get a second opinion on my testosterone in NZ? Ask your GP to discuss your results with an endocrinologist or refer you, see a private endocrinologist, or see a private doctor by video with no referral, such as Dr Jack Yeoman at Enhanced Men. A second opinion often confirms the first: a GP who calls a result normal is usually following New Zealand guidance. At Enhanced Men, low testosterone is diagnosed only when you have symptoms and two morning results, three to four weeks apart, both below 12 nmol/L total or 225 pmol/L free; above that line is not low testosterone, and he doesn't prescribe for it. Take copies of all your results, including the time each sample was taken.

References

1. LabPLUS (Te Toka Tumai Auckland). Testosterone (Blood). Northern Region Pathology Network Test Guide. https://northernlabstestguide.health.nz/test/testosterone-2/
2. Awanui Labs. Biochemistry reference intervals (4 November 2026), linked from https://www.awanuilabs.co.nz/north/auckland/for-referrers/tests/reference-ranges/
3. Canterbury Health Laboratories. Testosterone (plasma/serum). https://www.chl.co.nz/test/testosterone-plasma-serum/
4. Te Whatu Ora Waikato laboratory. Testosterone test guide. https://lab.waikatodhb.health.nz/test-guide/view/832/testosterone
5. BPAC NZ. Prescribing testosterone in ageing males. 25 November 2024. https://bpac.org.nz/2024/testosterone.aspx
6. Bhasin S, et al. Testosterone therapy in men with hypogonadism: an Endocrine Society clinical practice guideline. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2018;103(5):1715–44. https://doi.org/10.1210/jc.2018-00229
7. European Association of Urology. EAU Guidelines on Sexual and Reproductive Health, 2026 edition: Male hypogonadism (section 3.3.5). https://uroweb.org/guidelines/sexual-and-reproductive-health/chapter/male-hypogonadism
8. Office of the Privacy Commissioner. Health Information Privacy Code 2020. https://www.privacy.org.nz/privacy-principles/codes-of-practice/hipc2020/
9. Wu FCW, et al. Identification of late-onset hypogonadism in middle-aged and elderly men. N Engl J Med. 2010;363(2):123–35. https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMoa0911101
10. Feldman HA, et al. Age trends in the level of serum testosterone and other hormones in middle-aged men: longitudinal results from the Massachusetts Male Aging Study. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2002;87(2):589–98. https://doi.org/10.1210/jcem.87.2.8201
11. Fui MN, Dupuis P, Grossmann M. Lowered testosterone in male obesity: mechanisms, morbidity and management. Asian J Androl. 2014;16(2):223–31. https://doi.org/10.4103/1008-682X.122365
12. Healthify NZ. Testosterone replacement therapy. Reviewed 5 April 2024. https://healthify.nz/medicines-a-z/t/testosterone-replacement-therapy

This article is general health information, not personalised medical advice. A normal result often is the right answer; a doctor reading it alongside your history is the way to know.