HRT for Men

 

The ultimate goal of medicine is the panacea, a universal remedy, known by the catchphrase "there's a pill for every ill." The reality is very different. The modern medical industrial complex has it the other way round; there's now an ill for every pill. For many decades middle-aged women have been offered hormone replacement therapy. This is the artificial supplementing of hormones when their natural levels crash at the point of menopause. This can aid with a lot of the unpleasant bodily changes women suffer at and from that point, including hot flushes, bone weakness, disturbed sleep, sexual problems and aching joints. HRT is not without controversy and it has side effects. Some women refuse to take it, most famously Lynne McTaggart, see: https://lynnemctaggart.com/on-ageing-well/. HRT is a highly lucrative dollar and it is predictable that the pharmaceutical industry have looked for ways to double its size; and it seems they have found one. I'm not a doctor and so cannot say for sure whether this treatment is worthwhile for any readers, but I do find it sinister that it may well have been promoted using some very unethical marketing practices. It all centres around a particular substance that has taken on the popular mystique of a magic potion, testosterone, usually shortened to "T" because most of its enthusiasts cannot spell or pronounce the word.

I've always had an aversion to what are known as "lad mags", "locker room" or "men's lifestyle" magazines. In my first novel Evan's Land I even have a subplot involving them, see: https://hpanwo-tv.blogspot.com/2021/02/evans-land-audio-book.html. These magazines tend to be glossy supermarket shelf publications with names like "Busted"; and they are filled with unrealistic pictures of conventionally attractive women and articles teaching men how to conform to established social standards. Feminists cry out in rage and indignation at pornography, but I think that is comparatively harmless; it simply appeals to our carnal desires. Lad mags try to engineer men's thoughts, feelings and behaviour. It was in one of those where I first saw testosterone referred to as "man juice". Since then the culture surrounding "T" has increased. Testosterone is a natural hormone present in both women and men. It can also be found in the bodies of most other complex animals. It is essential in children and teenage boys for the development of reproductive functions and masculine features such as body hair, muscle mass and a deep voice. Its levels in your body will vary according to a number of factors including age, lifestyle, racial background, diet, certain illnesses and the levels of other bodily hormones. I've noticed that many men, even very young ones, have been worrying about this. I have seen a lot of social media content where guys are becoming quite anxious and even paranoid about how much testosterone they have. This is quite a recent phenomenon and I'm not sure exactly where it comes from, but I regularly see content like "You need to check your T levels!" or "Why are my T levels so low?" There is a prevalent fear that if their testosterone levels drop below a certain amount then men will transform overnight into a blob of impotent jelly wearing frilly knickers and high heel shoes. This is not true. This groundless terror is doubly damaging because along with the unnecessary anxiety it causes it could lead to activity that could be harmful. I've even seen men saying they plan to start smoking because there's a rumour that tobacco raises testosterone levels. I don't know for sure, but I suspect those wanting to sell a solution to this issue are not discouraging such content; maybe they even created this craze. Naturally the medical industrial complex has pounced on this opportunity by promoting HRT for men; here's an example of a company which I've seen advertised a lot online: https://www.4him4her.com/en-gb/4him. These companies' websites are all like this one, upmarket and well designed showing photos of handsome and virile older men; the message being that if you use their product then you too could look like him. Do the medications have any side effects I wonder? There is a list of health problems that are correlated with drops in testosterone, which are very similar to what women suffer after menopause; such as tiredness, loss of libido, sexual dysfunction, skin problems, weight gain, muscle weakness etc. I'm not sure whether testosterone level is the cause or effect, but it is always portrayed at the cause. I'm not going to advise men on whether or not they should take HRT and if you have taken it and had good results, fair enough. However, if I myself ever come down with any of those conditions I will first try to find another cure, probably involving a reassessment of my physical and mental health; what I eat and drink, how much sunlight and fresh air I enjoy, exercise routines, addressing painful memories in my personal history and my relationships with other people.
See here for more information: https://hpanwo-voice.blogspot.com/2011/12/lynx-2012-noahs-yacht-advert.html.
And: https://hpanwo-tv.blogspot.com/2020/11/nice-guys-reply-to-stefan-molyneux.html.