Testosterone, androstenedione, cortisol and cortisone levels in human unstimulated, stimulated and parotid saliva.

•Measurements of steroids in saliva are increasingly applied in diagnostics and science.•This study evaluates several sample collection methods.•Some collection methods have a dramatic influence on salivary hormone levels.•Collection methods should be considered in salivary hormone testing.•We advocate unstimulated saliva collection in simple polypropylene tubes for all steroid measurements.