Influencers linked to the online “manosphere” are persuading healthy young men that normal tiredness, stress or changes in libido signal low testosterone, according to a study in Social Science and Medicine.
Researchers analysed popular posts on TikTok and Instagram, finding that testosterone testing and treatment were framed as essential to being a “real man”, despite routine screening being medically unnecessary for most young men.
The lead author, Emma Grundtvig Gram of the University of Copenhagen, said influencers often present normal life experiences as health problems, fuelling demand for tests, supplements and hormones with limited evidence of benefit.
Medical experts warned that unnecessary testing or treatment can carry risks, including infertility and cardiovascular problems, and noted that most posts studied had undisclosed financial interests.
