The Worrisome ‘Wild West’ of Testosterone Hacking
TRT offers convincing benefits for men who need it. The problem is that many men really don’t.
A dark side.
Photographer: Tara Moore/Stone RFNowadays, men in their 40s like me are constantly being urged to get their testosterone levels checked, as private clinics and online providers tout “testosterone replacement therapy” as the way to improve sexual, physical and mental well-being. It’s a concerning development in TRT’s two-decade journey from being a niche therapy to a lifestyle panacea.
While I’m all for restoring natural testosterone levels for those with a genuine deficiency, the boundaries of therapeutic use and physical enhancement are becoming fuzzy. There’s a danger that opting for TRT as a cure-all means health issues such as obesity aren’t appropriately addressed, while young men risk impaired fertility and a lifetime of unnecessary and costly injections.