Testosterone by Prescription: Masculinity 2.0 or a Major Mistake?

Men in their thirties and forties are increasingly exposed to advertisements on social media promoting testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) that they can self-inject or apply through various creams or gels.

Low testosterone levels, according to new advertisements, are responsible for everything from poor mood to increased risk of dementia. For its supporters and loyal users, including the world’s most popular podcaster, Joe Rogan, who often speaks about it publicly, TRT improves concentration, boosts fitness (and much more), clears so-called brain fog, and restores men’s youthful libido and energy.

It solves all problems.

However, numerous doctors warn that there is a risk of serious side effects such as infertility. When men start taking it, they warn, they may be forced to take it for life. Specifically, when testosterone is artificially introduced, the body stops its natural hormone production, which also halts sperm production in the body. For most men, this is reversed when they stop TRT, but for some, it is a permanent side effect.

Testosterone supplementation has long been prescribed to men with the medical syndrome of hypogonadism, where the male body produces extremely low levels of the hormone, but the new trend of online TRT clinics that started in the U.S. and is now present throughout Europe recommends it for a wide and rather vague range of symptoms, including poor mood and sleep problems.

The popularity of TRT in the U.S. began to rise about ten years ago among men in their fifties and sixties, and clinics promoted it as a solution for the so-called ‘male menopause’ or ‘andropause,’ a problem allegedly associated with low energy and masculinity, but most doctors claim that such a thing does not exist at all. Although testosterone naturally declines with age (about one percent after forty), there is no sudden drop equivalent to menopause in women, when estrogen and progesterone levels begin to fall much more drastically.

In recent years, private practices promoting this treatment have become increasingly active, and they have started targeting younger men as well. One of the main factors behind this change was a series of studies showing that previous fears of the risk of heart attack and stroke from taking testosterone were unfounded. Private clinics took the results of these studies as solid evidence and opened the testosterone sales season, but the intake of external testosterone can have truly serious consequences.

Men with female breasts.

For example, natural hormone and sperm production decreases, which can lead to reduced fertility. In some cases, the testicles shrink, and natural recovery without additional medications, as we have already mentioned, is not always possible. Therapy can also become a lifelong ordeal due to one good advertisement on Instagram that prompted you to introduce additional hormones into your body, meaning you must be prepared to spend up to 300 euros monthly on therapy. Of course, it should be noted that self-initiated use of TRT carries a small million other risks of side effects such as increased risk of hair loss, enlargement of male breasts (gynecomastia), mental health issues, and heart function problems.

For this reason, numerous experts (we do not mean Joe Rogan) warn that the commercialization of TRT leads to the trivialization of serious hormone therapy. In many cases, men receive therapy even though their testosterone levels are within reference ranges, and often a business model encourages prescribing regardless of actual needs, with minimal information about risks, including reduced fertility.

During the pandemic, telemedicine services in the U.S. received temporary permission to prescribe testosterone without a physical examination. Research has shown that most of these services do not adequately warn about possible consequences, and some platforms intentionally raise testosterone levels above natural limits.

Despite its popularity, it should be noted that no testosterone product has been approved to slow down or reverse the aging process, and there is a very clear distinction between therapeutic use and hormone abuse. Nevertheless, due to the pervasive culture of endless optimization of body and mind, testosterone has become a symbol of ‘masculinity 2.0’ with the help of pop culture. However, when hormone therapy is used without a confirmed medical need, the consequences are worse than you can imagine. So be cautious the next time you are lured by masculine advertisements and remember all the numerous side effects when considering a quicker way to achieve youthful form. All of this is possible without hormones!