Overview
- Online and pop-up providers promote home finger‑prick tests and rapid prescriptions, recasting testosterone therapy as a wellness upgrade.
- Guidelines require two early‑morning venous samples with symptom assessment, whereas single non‑fasting tests can misclassify healthy men as deficient.
- Exogenous testosterone suppresses sperm production, with infertility possible after three to five years unless specialist fertility‑preserving protocols are used.
- When correctly prescribed for confirmed hypogonadism, therapy can improve mood, libido, muscle and bone health, though studies note small links to atrial fibrillation and blood clots and prostate cancer fears have largely eased.
- Endocrinology clinics report rising follow‑up from privately treated patients, including men with normal levels who gain little above roughly 12 nmol/L yet face avoidable side effects.