Prescriptions for testosterone cypionate, a generic form commonly sold by the clinics, have increased by eight times since 2010. When added to branded products, the total number of testosterone prescriptions is at a record high, according to prescription tracker Iqvia.
Some men swear by the treatment. Others suffer its side effects. Advertising for testosterone rarely mentions the risk of male breast enlargement, shrunken testicles, blood clots and infertility.
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After seeing an increase in the number of men complaining about infertility who had received testosterone from a men’s clinic, Justin Dubin, a urologist at Memorial Healthcare System in South Florida, posed as a patient himself to see if clinics would write him a prescription.
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He said he was 34 years old and wanted to have another child. His testosterone levels tested above normal, yet six of the seven national online clinics he contacted prescribed him testosterone when he asked. Dubin said he was shocked and disappointed.
“It undermines the credibility of the medical system,” he said, when clinicians give inappropriate medical advice. “At the end of the day the patient suffers.”
