Overview
- Private providers often rely on single, finger-prick or non-fasting tests despite guidelines calling for two separate morning venous samples to confirm deficiency.
- Men with normal hormone levels are increasingly starting therapy, even though raising testosterone above roughly 12 nmol/L is unlikely to boost sexual function, energy or mood.
- Exogenous testosterone suppresses the body’s fertility signals, reducing sperm production and risking long-term infertility, particularly after several years of use.
- When properly prescribed for confirmed hypogonadism, therapy can improve mood, libido, strength and bone health, with potential metabolic benefits in some patients.
- Earlier prostate cancer fears have largely been dispelled, but studies report small increases in atrial fibrillation and blood clot risk, and endocrinology clinics are seeing a rising burden of follow-up and side-effect management.