If you're considering testosterone therapy with Hone, confirmatory testing is a crucial step. This ensures your safety, verifies the diagnosis, and assesses key health biomarkers. Let's walk through the process.

Required for TRT

If you are prescribed testosterone therapy, you're required to purchase and complete a second lab test (confirmatory lab). This test will check your health biomarkers to confirm that you are healthy enough to begin testosterone replacement therapy and will create a baseline of these hormones so your Hone-affiliated provider can monitor how these biomarkers change while on treatment.

How to Order the Confirmatory Test Kit

After your consult, you will get an email with a link to purchase your prescribed medications. If you were prescribed testosterone, your checkout process will include the ability to purchase your confirmatory testing and will allow you to select your testing preference as detailed below.

Testing Preferences

When subscribing to testosterone, you will be given the option to choose between an at-home test kit or at-lab confirmatory testing.

• At-Home Kit: If you choose this option, a test kit will be shipped to the address listed on your account.
• At-Lab Testing: If you choose this option, a lab requisition is created and uploaded to your patient files for scheduling at any Labcorp location.

Why Confirmatory Testing is Important

There are two main reasons why we require confirmatory testing:

1. Medical Guidelines Compliance:

   • To comply with American Urological Association (AUA) guidelines, which recommend two readings of Total Testosterone to confirm low testosterone levels before beginning treatment. It's important to confirm that your Testosterone is at a clinically significant level to warrant treatment and that your initial test was not an abnormal reading.

2. Health Biomarkers Check:

   • To check your health biomarkers. We want to ensure that you are safely able to start treatment and to make sure that you remain healthy while on treatment. The confirmatory testing will check for potential health conditions that might put you at an elevated health risk before beginning Testosterone Replacement Therapy.

Biomarkers Checked

• Total Testosterone: Medical guidelines state that having two readings of total testosterone is the medically sound approach.
• PSA: Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) is a protein produced by the prostate gland. It is commonly measured through a blood test to assess prostate health. Monitoring PSA is essential, especially for individuals on testosterone therapy, as testosterone may influence prostate cancer cell growth.
• Prolactin: Prolactin is a hormone that is produced by the pituitary gland. It plays a crucial role in various reproductive functions, such as testosterone and sperm production in men. Elevated prolactin levels may indicate underlying issues such as a pituitary tumor.
• Hematocrit: Hematocrit is a measure of the percentage of red blood cells in your blood. Red blood cells are crucial for transporting oxygen throughout your body. Testosterone therapy can stimulate the production of red blood cells, potentially elevating the hematocrit percentage.

Our Commitment to Quality Care

At Hone, it’s important to us that our clients receive the highest quality of care. The additional testing is not intended to prevent or delay your treatment but to ensure that you receive it safely and consistently within current medical guidelines. By adhering to these protocols, we can provide you with the most effective and safe treatment plan tailored to your needs.

Conclusion

Confirmatory testing is essential for a safe and effective testosterone therapy journey. It ensures compliance with medical guidelines and helps identify any potential health risks, thereby safeguarding your well-being. If results fall outside the normal range, additional follow-ups may be needed. Your health is our priority at Hone, and we're here to guide you every step of the way. Order your confirmatory test at checkout! We appreciate your understanding and cooperation in this process as we strive to provide the best possible care for you.