On October 14, 2026, two clinical biochemists warned in The BMJ that rapid growth in private testosterone prescribing in the UK risks extending hormone therapy to men with vague symptoms and borderline test results, and leaving the NHS to pay for the follow-up. Prof Eric Kilpatrick (Wythenshawe Hospital, Manchester) and Prof Stephen Atkin (RCSI Medical University of Bahrain) point to a "proliferation of private and online clinics" and "heavy marketing through social media, influencers, and outdoor advertising" (The Mirror; BritBrief).

Why It Matters

This is the British version of the debate we tracked when [U.S. testosterone prescribing hit an all-time high](/stories/testosterone-prescribing-resurgence-2026) and the [Pentagon ordered testosterone checks for troops](/stories/pentagon-testosterone-screening-troops). The commercial engine is the same in both: influencer marketing, at-home blood kits and subscription telehealth. For men's-health platforms, the regulatory risk is shifting from *whether* to prescribe to *how*: repeat confirmatory testing, documented exclusion of reversible causes, and fertility counselling are becoming the standard that critics will hold private providers to. The point about women matters too, as the FDA considers [testosterone for women's low desire](/stories/fda-testosterone-women-workshop): libido is the main selling point on both sides of the market, and evidence-light prescribing on either side brings scrutiny to the whole category.

The numbers behind the warning: NHS testosterone prescriptions rose 52% between 2020/21 and 2024/25. Private prescriptions are not recorded nationally, but the authors say "several indicators" point to rapid growth. They contrast commercial testing firms' claims that up to 30% of men over 40 have low testosterone with clinical data suggesting only about 2% of men aged 40–79 have a genuine deficiency. Private subscriptions covering blood monitoring, consultations and medication cost about £100–£375 a month. The reports name boxers including Mike Tyson, Carl Froch and Roy Jones Jr, along with podcaster Joe Rogan, as promoters of testosterone-boosting products (The Mirror).

The clinical argument is about workup. The paper notes that testosterone deficiency can cause reduced libido, erectile dysfunction, fatigue and low mood, but says reversible causes such as obesity, medication, sleep apnoea and depression must be excluded before lifelong therapy starts. Obesity in particular produces a "pseudo-hypogonadism" that usually responds better to weight loss. Diagnosis requires repeated testing, and the authors say it is unclear how consistently private clinics do this. Their summary: "rapid access subscription models… risk unnecessary lifelong treatment and a resulting NHS monitoring burden," including monitoring for heart and kidney problems. Unnecessary use can also suppress natural hormone production and cause infertility. The authors add that women are increasingly targeted with testosterone for low libido, and NHS data show a tenfold rise in testosterone gel for women aged 50+ between 2015 and 2022 (BritBrief).

Sources

Update — 2026-10-15

Initial entry — story first created.