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December 29, 2025
Dr Ahmed Kamal
Testosterone has become a convenient explanation for many things men experience as they get older — low energy, reduced motivation, changes in mood, or a sense that they’re not quite themselves anymore. It’s an appealing idea because it offers something concrete: a hormone, a number, a potential fix. Clinically, it’s rarely that simple. When men raise concerns about testosterone, doctors don’t start by asking how to increase it. They start by asking why this question has come up now.
Online health information often presents testosterone as a master switch for male wellbeing. Symptom lists, quizzes, and social media content reinforce the idea that a wide range of experiences point back to one hormonal cause. The reality is that many of these symptoms are non-specific. Fatigue, low mood, poor concentration, and reduced confidence can arise from psychological stress, sleep disruption, physical illness, medication effects, or lifestyle strain — sometimes long before hormones are relevant. Testosterone becomes the focus not because it is always the cause, but because it is measurable. And what can be measured often feels more reassuring than what needs interpretation.
When a man presents with symptoms often attributed to testosterone, clinicians think broadly before thinking hormonally. They look at how symptoms developed, whether they fluctuate, and what else was happening around that time. Work pressure, relationship stress, disrupted sleep, weight changes, illness, and mental health all matter — even if they don’t feel dramatic. Doctors are also cautious about labels. Assigning symptoms to testosterone too early can distract from more likely explanations and, in some cases, lead to unnecessary treatment. Good medicine is as much about ruling things out thoughtfully as it is about finding a cause.
Testosterone does play an important role in male health. In selected cases, low levels are clearly linked to symptoms and benefit from treatment. But this represents a minority, not the majority, of men asking questions about hormones. Hormone levels vary naturally. They are influenced by sleep, stress, illness, calorie intake, and exercise. A single blood test — especially taken without context — cannot explain how someone feels on its own. Equally, “low-normal” results do not automatically mean a problem, just as a result outside a reference range does not automatically mean treatment is required. Clinicians are trained to interpret hormone results alongside the whole person, not in isolation.
One of the challenges with testosterone-focused narratives is that they start with a conclusion rather than a question. If symptoms are assumed to be hormonal from the outset, other contributors may be overlooked. Fatigue caused by burnout, poor sleep, or low mood will not improve simply by correcting a hormone level. In some cases, treatment may even mask the real issue. This is why responsible clinicians are cautious. Testosterone is considered when appropriate, not by default.
"Testosterone matters — but it’s rarely the first thing we decide on. Symptoms make sense only when you understand the wider context.”
— Dr Ahmed Kamal Abdoun, Menvate
This reflects an interpretation-first approach that prioritises understanding before intervention.
For many men, the most helpful shift is moving away from the question “Is my testosterone low?” to “What’s changed in my health or life that might explain how I feel?” Sometimes hormones are part of that answer. Often, they’re not. And understanding that difference can prevent unnecessary worry and inappropriate treatment. Clarity doesn’t come from numbers alone — it comes from thoughtful assessment.
