32 The Times MagazineStevens said the drop in my second blood
test probably occurred because I’d taken the
sample in the afternoon. I wasn’t aware that
testosterone should be measured in the
morning when levels are at their highest.
I wasn’t aware because, until I spoke to
Stevens, nobody had told me.
I felt a sense of relief, but this soon turned
to annoyance (this time it wasn’t Clomid).
I had a good idea why further blood tests had
been suggested. It was clearly in somebody’s
financial interest to put me on a recurring
TRT prescription (at a cost of more than
£100 a month). The fact I didn’t need the
medication hardly seemed to matter.
Stevens said my vitamin D and folate levels
were low. Vitamin D can affect testosterone
and a lack of folate or folic acid can influence
mood and make you tired. I didn’t have low
testosterone; I had a vitamin deficiency.Others do need help. Kennett noticed
something unusual when his first set of NHS
blood tests came back. The results showed
very high levels of the sex hormone SHBG.
“What this means is the testosterone
doesn’t bind properly, so my body isn’t using
what little testosterone I have,” he says.
Having done his own extensive research,
Kennett made another appointment with his
GP and tried to explain the situation.
“I had to tell them what to do. My GP said
it was above his pay grade. The doctor said he
would refer me [to a specialist], but it’s
potentially waiting years and years, test after
test. So I took matters into my own hands.”
After researching private clinics, Kennett
found Stevens and the Men’s Health Clinic.
While some men do manage to get
testosterone injections or gels through the
NHS, outdated TRT dosing protocols remain.
“An NHS doctor might have a testosterone
they can prescribe to you, but on the label it
says you need to take it once every six weeks,”
says Nigel. “This means that for the first three
weeks you’re feeling great, but by the time
you go to see your doctor for the next shot
you’re feeling suicidal for a week... So you’re
on this rollercoaster.”
In contrast, Stevens’ patients are prescribed
microdoses of testosterone that mimic the
natural physiology of the body. The protocol
requires daily injections, yet doing it this way
avoids hormonal volatility.
Using TRT does carry risks. When
synthetic testosterone is injected it shrinks the
testicles and decreases sperm production.
“Infertility is an obvious concern,” says
Stevens. “You’re significantly reducing your
chances of fertility because you’re suppressing
the pituitary.”
At Stevens’ clinic, patients who think they
might want to try for children one day are
prescribed human chorionic gonadotropin(hCG) alongside their TRT protocol. It’s a
hormone produced in the placenta of pregnant
women and has been found to stimulate
sperm production in men.
The United States Food and Drug
Administration advises against getting TRT
for low testosterone levels believed to be
caused by ageing alone, because some studies
have claimed a link between TRT and
increased risk of heart attacks and blood clots
(the evidence is inconclusive).
“When I asked my NHS doctor about
TRT, he described it as a ‘woolly science’,”
says Nigel.
I ask Stevens why the NHS often seems
to fail men suffering from low testosterone.
“The NHS was set up for need. You’re not
going to die from testosterone deficiency. This
is seen as health optimisation, which I believe
the NHS doesn’t feel is within its remit.”
Stevens tells me stories of men turning up
at the clinic feeling suicidal. I speak to several
low-testosterone men who also say they felt
suicidal before starting treatment. These men
clearly needed help, yet they weren’t getting it,
partly because testosterone replacement
therapy has an image problem.One of the most high-profile people in
Britain to speak out publicly about having
low testosterone is Robbie Williams, the
singer formerly in Take That. Diagnosed
with testosterone deficiency in his thirties,
Williams initially sought treatment for
depression, but was told by doctors that he
had the testosterone levels of an 80-year-old.His wife, Ayda Field, said TRT injections have
given the singer a “new lease of life”. She
added that there was a “stigma” because
“people think it’s about weightlifting or sex”.
“Because of this association with anabolic
steroids and performance-enhancing drugs,
the door is slammed in their faces,” says
Stevens.
When the NHS closes its doors, less
scrupulous actors are waiting in the wings to
take advantage, as I was discovering on my
own health journey.
“There are lots of people using TRT as a
cash cow,” says Stevens. “It is an opportunity
to make a lot of money.”
YouTube and Instagram have spawned an
industry of fitness and wellbeing influencers
who treat TRT as just another lifestyle
accessory. This has led to a rise in TRT use
among men who probably don’t need it.
“I think the traditional medical professional
will never take testosterone deficiency
seriously because of YouTube influencers
saying, ‘Give it a go,’ with their tops off and
six-packs,” says Stevens.
At his clinic, TRT is considered only for
men who continue to show symptoms of
testosterone deficiency despite taking the
necessary steps to improve their lifestyle.
Kennett started daily TRT injections with
Stevens in August this year. “My mind feels
clearer,” he says. “That’s the biggest thing for
me. And libido, for sure. I didn’t realise how
low it was.”
Before starting TRT, he was advised by
Stevens to try over-the-counter boron
supplements. Boron is a natural mineral that
has been found to lower SHBG, potentially
boosting levels of free testosterone.
This sounded radically different from my
experience. Thanks to my naivety, I’d very
nearly been fast-tracked into a lifetime of
testosterone injections. I’d swerved that
outcome (and the risk of sterility that went
with it) only to end up taking Clomid,
a drug that cost me money, made me
miserable and which I didn’t need.
I fired off a peevish email to the clinic that
had prescribed me the Clomid. I informed
them I would no longer be requiring a
prescription. If I needed help in the future,
I would take my business elsewhere. As things
stood, I was all right; I just had a vitamin
deficiency.
The clinic emailed back a few hours later.
They were sorry to see me go, but they
would unfortunately have to charge me a
“termination fee”. I told them I wouldn’t be
paying. I headed to Holland & Barrett to
spend the fee I refused to pay on the vitamins.
On the way out, I threw the blister packs of
Clomid in the bin. Over subsequent weeks,
my mood steadily improved. My girlfriend
still hasn’t dumped me. n‘My mind feels clearer.
That’s the biggest
thing for me. And
libido, for sure’
Joe KennettHAMISH BROWN. STYLING: HANNAH SKELLEY. GROOMING: MICHAELA TAYLOR USING BEAUTY PIE, MAC MAKE-UP, LAURA MERCIER AND AMERICAN CREW FOR HAIR. JACKET AND JEANS, NUDIE JEANS (MATCHESFASHION.COM); T-SHIRT, SUNSPEL.COM