Testosterone replacement therapy has become a worrying Wild West

These days, men in their 40s like me are constantly being urged to have 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 worrying development in TRT’s two-decade journey from niche therapy to lifestyle wonder drug.

While I am all for restoring natural testosterone levels for those who are truly deficient, the lines of therapeutic use and physical enhancement are becoming increasingly blurred. There is a danger that TRT as a miracle cure means that health problems such as obesity are not properly addressed, while young men are at risk of reduced fertility and a lifetime of unnecessary and expensive injections.