Testosterone is so hot right now. And many men believe boosting this hormone can make them hotter.
That’s just one of the strange beliefs highlighted in a new Men’s Health survey of 2,200 men about how they feel about testosterone and where they’re learning about it.
T as a balm for men is hard to ignore at the moment. The highest levels of government are pushing to make it more accessible and better monitored among 1.35 million active duty troops.
Add in optimizers, especially looksmaxxers pushing T on younger men for a sculpted look, and the flourishing industry of totally virtual testosterone suppliers — and there’s never been more fuel on the proverbial fire.
As many as 11 million men are on testosterone replacement therapy, or TRT today.
The new survey found testosterone is “important” to 70% of men, and 40% of them said it’s more important to them now than it was a year ago.
So what are they learning, and where are they getting it from? The new survey points to some troubling answers.
Dangerous testosterone myths
As many as 49% of men believe that testosterone is a measure of their masculinity, while 37% believe that the more testosterone you have, the better looking you are.
Wanting to look and feel more manly can be strong motivator to boost existing T levels. Plus, a majority of participants don’t believe that testosterone is dangerous — some 57%.
But it can be dangerous, if supplemental TRT is taken inappropriately.
Testosterone can worsen sleep apnea, which can drive up blood pressure and cause heart issues. Testosterone can also heighten red blood cell counts, which can lead to clotting. This can be life threatening.
Plus, a big danger of unsupervised testosterone (i.e. getting the drug from some online testosterone suppliers) is that it can stimulate prostate growth and make existing cancer there worse.
Without a proper consultation to rule out prostate cancer, you could be unknowingly fueling tumor growth with a drug that’s supposed to help your health.
That’s why it’s interesting that 54% of men surveyed believe testosterone will help them live longer.
Sure, it can help with symptoms of low T, like low sex drive, fatigue, low mood — but only if the person taking TRT actually low on testosterone. One study suggests that only 12% of men on TRT actually need it.
But even if the medication is actually helping those symptoms, it will not increase your lifespan on its own.
Where are men getting their information?
Most men are getting their testosterone information from sources that aren’t medical professionals, the survey suggests.
Men said they looked to friends and family, podcasters and influencers, AI, news — and most of all, social forums like Reddit, Facebook groups, and TikTok — for what to know about testosterone.
Combined, 38% of men went to these alternative sources, while 27% weren’t looking into testosterone at all. Only 34% were asking doctors.
Men’s Health said that Gen Z were the ones who were more likely to seek alternative sources. And those who were looking to these sources were more likely to believe that testosterone is a measure of their masculinity, and that testosterone will help them live longer.
Half of Gen Z men believe that the more testosterone you have, the better looking you are—significantly higher than older generations, Men’s Health said.
Are what men’s sources providing a balanced look at testosterone at least? The survey results suggest no.
While men are aware of testosterone’s many benefits, they seem to be very unaware of its risks.
As much as 59% of men surveyed didn’t know high testosterone could cause heart and liver problems, 62% didn’t know it could cause infertility, 53% didn’t know about the acne, and 57% didn’t know about the hair loss.
