Misinformation on social media is driving men to NHS clinics in search of testosterone they don’t need, adding pressure to already stretching waiting lists, doctors said.
Testosterone therapy is a prescription-only treatment recommended under national guidelines for men with a clinically proven deficiency, confirmed by symptoms and frequent blood tests.
But a wave of viral videos on TikTok and Instagram have begun marketing blood tests as a way to access testosterone as a lifestyle supplement, advertising the hormone as a solution to problems like low energy levels, poor concentration and low sex drive.
Doctors warn that taking testosterone unnecessarily can suppress the production of natural hormones in the body, cause infertility, and increase the risk of blood clots, heart problems and mood disorders.
The demand for online therapy is so great that medical professionals are now starting to see it reflected in their clinics.
Professor Channa Jayasena, of Imperial College London and chair of the Society for Endocrinology and Andrology Network, said hospital specialists were seeing increasing numbers of men who had undergone special blood tests, often promoted on social media, and were incorrectly told they needed testosterone.
“At the national meeting, we asked 300 endocrinologists across the UK, everyone seeing patients from these clinics every week,” he said. “They are filling up our clinics. We’re used to seeing people with adrenal problems and diabetes, and that’s really affecting NHS care. We’re all wondering how to deal with this.”
Advertising prescription drugs is illegal in the UK, but The Guardian found that a number of TikTok influencers are teaming up with private medical clinics to advertise blood tests, which are legal to promote, as a route to testosterone treatment.
Testosterone replacement therapy advocates with thousands of followers are paid or offered incentives by private clinics to promote discount and gift codes, encouraging men to check their testosterone levels and potentially access treatment.
In one post, a man curls his biceps and says: “Test your testosterone… DM me for £20 off.” In another video, a free blood test is offered as part of the giveaway, telling men it will help them “take control” of their performance.
The Guardian reported these posts to the Advertising Standards Authority for potential breaches of regulations due to their promotion of prescription medicines, prompting the watchdog to launch an investigation.
“I’ve just come back from a national education course for the next generation of consultant endocrinologists, and most people have raised concerns about reproduction and this issue, where a group of men have been pushed to raise their testosterone levels,” Jayasena said.
He added: “Influencers aside, this is a big problem. Hospital specialists see patients coming in after having special blood tests, often arranged through influencers, and then being told by inexperienced doctors or a wide range of healthcare professionals that they should start on testosterone. The advice they give is wrong.”
Private clinics charge around £1,800 to £2,200 for the first year of testosterone replacement therapy (TRT). Packages include medications, monitoring, and counseling.
Once a specialized medical treatment for a small number of men clinically diagnosed with hormone deficiency, TRT has increasingly been recast as a lifestyle or “performance-enhancing” tool. Online clinics now offer at-home blood tests and subscription packages, making it easier to access traditional healthcare systems outside of them.
These publications often cite that decreased motivation, fatigue, or aging are signs of “low T,” prompting more men to seek testing and treatment, even though medical guidelines limit TRT to those with proven hormonal deficiency.
“There are specific clinical guidelines about who should or should not start taking testosterone,” Jayasena said. “Some symptoms, such as erectile dysfunction, are clearly associated with low testosterone. Other symptoms, such as not having enough muscle or feeling depressed, are not associated with low testosterone. A man might say, ‘I’m not very muscular,’ and be asked to get tested, but there’s no evidence that he needs a test.”
“What’s even more concerning is that these clinics are starting testosterone in men with normal testosterone levels. There’s no evidence that testosterone levels above 12 nmol/L are beneficial, and I’ve heard of clinics starting men under 18, which includes a lot of the population.”
He added that taking it when you don’t need it can cause infertility. “It suppresses testicular signals and hormones from the brain that are needed for the testicles to function, so clinics offer a combination of other medications to stop this from happening, which is the same approach used by anabolic steroid users.”
TikTok has been contacted for comment.