How SHBG appears on your report
Look for Sex Hormone Binding Globulin (SHBG). The result is normally shown in nmol/L, next to the reference interval used by the laboratory that ran the test.
Note the collection date before you compare it with anything, along with the context that matters for this marker: insulin, weight, thyroid and liver function, oestrogen, age and medicines can move it.
SHBG range in Australia
Vector tracks SHBG against an optimal range of 18–55 nmol/L. Australia has no nationally harmonised reference interval for this marker, so the interval printed on your report varies with the laboratory and the assay it used.
Vector’s optimal range is the band the app tracks against and the one printed in the doctor report. Why the two differ.
What to read alongside SHBG
A single marker rarely explains itself. These results are commonly interpreted together with SHBG, and Vector keeps them within reach of each other as your record grows.
Tracking SHBG over time
One SHBG result is a single point. Import the report into Vector, check the extracted value, unit and collection date, and it becomes the start of a series instead — with each later report adding a dated point you can actually compare against.
Further reading
SHBG is read the same way every other result on the report is. These two guides cover that method rather than this marker:
- How to read an Australian pathology report — A practical guide to dates, units, reference intervals and the context that belongs beside an Australian pathology result.
- Pathology report reference ranges: what they mean — Understand the laboratory interval, Australian guidance and the product context Vector adds to a result over time.
Common questions
What is a normal SHBG range in Australia?
Australia has no nationally harmonised reference interval for SHBG, so the range printed on your report varies with the laboratory and the assay it used — always read your result against the interval beside it. Vector tracks SHBG against an optimal range of 18–55 nmol/L, which is deliberately tighter than a population reference interval.
What is the optimal SHBG level?
Vector treats 18–55 nmol/L as the optimal range for SHBG, with sex-specific bands of 18–55 for men and 32–128 for women. An optimal range is a target the app tracks against, not a clinical threshold, and it can differ from the interval your laboratory prints.
What unit is SHBG reported in on Australian pathology reports?
SHBG is usually reported in nmol/L on Australian pathology reports. The performing laboratory prints a reference interval in the same unit beside the result, and that interval is the one that governs your individual result.
What can change your SHBG result?
Insulin, weight, thyroid and liver function, oestrogen, age and medicines can move it.
Sources
- RCPA Manual: SHBG - Sex Hormone Binding GlobulinAustralian pathology reference for this test and related result context.
- Healthdirect: hormone testsGeneral consumer context for hormone testing and clinical follow-up.
Published 2 August 2026 · Updated 3 August 2026 · Author Vector