How the Tasso Lab Kit Works: Your At-Home Testosterone Health Test, Step by Step Guide

Getting your hormone levels checked is simpler and less painful than ever before. 

Ivím’s Men’s Hormone Health program uses an at-home lab kit called Tasso. Once you take your blood sample and send it back, a lab processes your results and sends them to your Ivím provider, who reviews them alongside your HormoneIQ™ score to build your treatment plan. You’ll get a message from us when your treatment plan is ready. 

Here’s exactly how it works, from unboxing to results:  

What Is the Tasso Device? 

Tasso is a single-use, adhesive collection device that sticks to your upper arm. Instead of a needle inserted into a vein, it uses a small spring-loaded lancet and a gentle vacuum to draw capillary blood into a collection tube. The device is designed to be virtually painless, and most people describe it as feeling like a light pinch or nothing at all. There’s no phlebotomist, no vein-finding, and no appointment. 

How the Tasso Kit Works, A Step by Step Guide 

• 1. Activate your kit Scan the QR code card in the box and enter your activation code. Do this before you collect — it registers your sample. 

• 2. Warm your upper arm —2 full minutes (the most important step) Use the included heating pad on your upper arm for a full 2 minutes. This gets blood flowing to the collection site. Skip it or rush it and your sample may come back incomplete. 

• 3. Collect your sample  Press button all the way down ONCE and release. Set timer for 5 minutes. Watch tube fill using mirror as needed. 

• 4. Sign the consent form It’s in the box — sometimes tucked behind other materials. Sign it and put it in the return package. Your sample can’t be processed without it. 

• 5. Return it the same day Seal your sample in the return bag and box, and ship it with the prepaid FedEx label the same day you collect. 

• Timing matters: FedEx return is available Monday–Thursday only. Don’t collect on a Friday or over the weekend — the sample won’t be viable by the time it ships. Drop at any FedEx location or schedule a pickup. 

• Stuck on any step? Your provider can walk you through it 

What Biomarkers Does the Tasso Lab Kit Measure? 

Your sample is tested for several biomarkers that, together, give your provider a bigger picture of your testosterone and hormone health: 

• Total and free testosterone — how much you have, and how much your body can actually use. 

• SHBG (sex hormone-binding globulin) — some of your testosterone is “tied up” by a protein called SHBG, while the rest is free to do its job. That’s why two people with the same total testosterone level can feel very different. 

• LH (luteinizing hormone) — one of the pituitary gland’s signals to make testosterone. This may tell your provider whether a low number starts at the source (testicles) or further upstream. 

• Estradiol — men make this too. Some testosterone converts into it, and the balance can shape how you feel and what treatment fits. 

• Hematocrit — shows whether your body is making more red blood cells. Since some hormone therapies can increase this over time, we monitor this as an important safety check 

• PSA (prostate-specific antigen) — helps us better understand your prostate health before treatment and monitor for changes over time. 

No single number here tells the whole story. Your provider reads these markers together, alongside your HormoneIQ™ score and health history. Together these allow us to individualize your care. 

What Happens After You Mail Back Your Sample? 

Once your sample reaches the lab, it’s processed and your results are sent to your provider for review. Your provider reads your labs alongside your HormoneIQ™ score and health history together, then builds your plan and reaches out with next steps.  

Common Questions About the Tasso Lab Kit 

Does the Tasso kit hurt? 

Most people describe it as a light pinch, if they feel anything at all. There’s no needle inserted into a vein, and no vein-finding required. 

What if my sample isn’t enough, or it arrives compromised? 

If your sample doesn’t meet the volume or quality needed for testing, the lab will flag it and your provider will follow up to help you complete a new collection at no extra cost.  

Do I need to fast before testing? 

No fasting is required for this panel. Testosterone does follow a daily rhythm and tends to be highest in the morning, so collecting your sample before 10am is recommended. 

How long before I get my results? 

Turnaround depends on lab processing and mail transit time.  

Is my sample and data kept private? 

Your results are transmitted securely and reviewed only by your provider as part of your treatment.  

The Tasso kit is a one-time $99 step, and it’s the one your provider needs before anything else can move forward: no medication is prescribed without it. Once your results are in, your provider takes it from there. 

Men’s Hormone Health care is included in your Ivím membership; prescription medications and lab kit are billed separately. Medications in this program are compounded by a licensed pharmacy; compounded medications are not FDA-approved and have not undergone FDA review for safety, effectiveness, or manufacturing quality. Some prescriptions may be used off-label. All prescriptions follow clinical evaluation and may not be appropriate for all patients. Follow your provider’s instructions. Individual results may vary. Learn more.