In a concerning trend, researchers have found that “manophere” influencers on TikTok and Instagram with over 6.8 million combined followers are aggressively pushing testosterone testing and treatments to young, healthy men. The study, published in the journal Social Science and Medicine, analysed 46 high-impact posts about low testosterone and testing, revealing how masculinity and men’s health are being monetised online.
The lead author, Emma Grundtvig Gram, a public health researcher at the University of Copenhagen, explained that these influencers often frame normal variations in energy, mood, libido or ageing as “signs of pathology.” This, she said, “means men may come to perceive themselves as inherently deficient or in need of medical intervention.”
This “creates a sense of urgency for solutions, which in turn fuels lucrative markets for pharmaceuticals, supplements and medical devices, even in the absence of clear clinical benefit.” Gram warned that this contributes to the “medicalisation of masculinity itself,” reinforcing a narrow, idealised model of masculinity while marginalising diverse expressions of gender.
The study found that 72% of the analysed social media posts had financial interests, such as selling testosterone tests, treatments or supplements, or were sponsored by industry. Two-thirds of posts included direct links or promo codes to purchase products.
“Within this narrative, so-called ‘alpha men’ are promoted as dominant, sexually successful and physically powerful, and our study found testosterone was positioned as the key to achieving this status,” Gram said. “This connection is important because it shows that testosterone marketing is not just about health, but is embedded in wider cultural and ideological narratives about gender and power.”
Experts warn that routine screening for low testosterone in asymptomatic men, including younger men, is not supported by guidelines. Symptoms commonly attributed to low testosterone often overlap with fatigue, stress, anxiety, depression and relationship difficulties.
“This often leads to discussions about the normal range of testosterone, the limited evidence for benefit in otherwise healthy men, and the potential risks of unnecessary treatment,” said Prof Ada Cheung, an endocrinologist at the University of Melbourne.
These risks include infertility, cardiovascular issues and thickened blood. Prof Oliver Jones, a chemist at RMIT University, also expressed concern about the ease with which people with little to no health qualifications can “go online, claim to know what they are talking about and then make up any old rubbish, usually to sell something, with no consequences whatsoever.”
