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Background  Many young adults with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) receive long-term glucocorticoids (GC). GC can cause hypogonadotrophic hypogonadism and adolescents may therefore be candidates for pubertal induction. It is unclear whether men with DMD on or off GC have age-appropriate endogenous testosterone production.    Methods  We undertook a quality improvement project to assess the feasibility of measuring salivary testosterone (SalT) levels in men with DMD at home. A Sal-T sampling kit was sent by post to all patients with DMD, aged 17 and older, registered at the John Walton Muscular Centre in Newcastle ( n  = 75). Submitted Sal-T samples were collected and submitted for analysis.    Results  Twenty-eight out of seventy-five patients returned samples (age range: 17–34 years). 6/28 samples were unsuitable for analysis. Overall Sal-T levels ( n  = 22) were significantly lower than in the healthy population (178 ± 107 v 287 ± 109 pmol/l,  p  = 0.0001). Sal-T was lower in those on GC compared to those off GC (144 ± 81 versus 218 ± 125 pmol/l,  p  = 0.05). Three patients were unable to collect a sample due to ventilator dependence.    Conclusion  Sal T can provide information about androgen status in DMD patients at home, overcoming barriers such as mobility difficulties and challenging venepuncture. However we only obtained samples in a minority of patients suggesting that Sal-T measurement may not be appropriate or acceptable to everyone. There needs to be a more detailed exploration of the barriers to sample submission.    Supplementary Information  The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12902-021-00727-4.

Measurement of salivary testosterone in adolescents and young men with Duchenne muscular dystrophy