– You don’t want to feel less of a man than other men. It is 24-year-old Sivert Gangnes who says this. We meet him at SATS at Storo. He works out 4-5 times a week and admits that he is concerned with the hormone, which is often associated with manhood, muscles and sex drive. Sivert Gangnes (24) trains 4-5 times a week and has considered having his own testosterone measured. Photo: Snorre Tønset / news – Yes, I want to say that. In several cases, it is seen on social media that the testosterone level in men is lower. – Are you worried? – Yes, in a way. It will be. – Have you been to your GP and had your measurements taken? – No, but I have actually considered it. Strong increase Sivert is far from alone in being preoccupied with testosterone. Last year, almost 22,000 men between the ages of 18 and 40 had their testosterone checked by their GP. Fürst laboratories are experiencing a sharp increase in the number of blood samples from young men that are analyzed for testosterone. Photo: Snorre Tønset / news There is a 23 per cent increase in two years, according to figures that the Center for Clinical Documentation and Evaluation in Helse Nord has taken out for news. The proportion of men who ask to be tested is highest in Southern Norway and in the capital area. Lowest in Sogn og Fjordane. The flip side of the coin – It may seem very good at first, but the consequences are huge! Jørgen (40) pulls his hoodie tight over his head outside Rikshospitalet. He will talk anonymously about his experiences with testosterone. Jørgen (40) will warn against the side effects of taking testosterone. Photo: Snorre Tønset / news With the hope of getting a finer body, bigger muscles and a better sex life, he started taking the hormone – illegally. – Did it help? – To begin with. Absolutely. Now he wants to warn anyone considering taking testosterone. It is illegal and punishable if it is not done in consultation with a doctor. – What nobody tells you (in social media ed. note) is the back of the medal. What kind of effect it has on the psyche. – How is the effect? – You lose muscle mass. You lose your sex drive. You can become very, very depressed. Before, there was no Profiled GP Kaveh Rashidi in Oslo himself is experiencing a sharp increase in young men asking to have their testosterone tested. – Before, no one wanted to have their testosterone measured, or older men only occasionally. Now there are younger men who come knocking here more and more often and want to measure their testosterone. – If you are young and healthy and have no problems, then your testosterone level is good enough, says GP Kaveh Rashidi. Photo: Snorre Tønset / news On social media such as Instagram and TikTok, there is not far between pictures and videos of muscular, well-trained bodies. This explains much of the increase, Rashidi believes. – My impression is that many people in society, but perhaps especially young men, are concerned with optimizing their bodies. On social media you hear that testosterone is extremely important to measure, says Kaveh Rashidi. – What do you say to them? – If you are young and healthy and have no problems, then the testosterone is good enough. You should not take testosterone drugs until you have a real disorder, says Kaveh Rashidi. – Could it be dangerous? – Testosterone is dangerous. Even when we treat patients who have no testosterone in their bodies, who really need it to live a normal life, we are very careful. The cardiovascular system in particular does not like too much testosterone. Although the muscles are very happy with it. – Because it is doping? – Yes, it is a doping substance. 12 year old asks about testosterone “Hi I’m about to turn 16 and my balls and dick have barely grown. What I’m wondering is whether I need a testosterone injection because I’m very late and because I have a rather feminine body.” Boys as young as 12–13 have contacted Christine Wisløff at Oslo University Hospital and asked if they need testosterone supplementation. Photo: Snorre Tønset / news This is one of the questions that appear on the answer service ung.no. One of those who answered is Christine Wisløff. She researches the use of anabolic steroids at Oslo University Hospital. – It is mostly young boys who ask about testosterone. We see that there has been one in twelve, so the average is probably from approx. 16–17 years and upwards to the age group perhaps 50–60 years, says Wisløff. Those who ask her are told that testosterone is illegal and punishable both to use and to possess. – What do you think is the reason why 15-16-year-olds ask you if they can use testosterone? – Most people say: We see, we follow on the internet, we have influencers. There is a lot of focus on the body, looking great, having muscles, having a six pack. Excited – In fact, you feel a little more excited – and start looking for a partner to “goof around” with! The words belong to Zoran Mesaros (36). He describes the feeling of testosterone flowing through the body after a proper session with heavy weights. We meet him at SATS at Storo. He checks his own testosterone level regularly. Zoran Mesaros is concerned with his body and exercise, and has his testosterone measured every six months. Photo: Snorre Tønset / news – I take a blood test at least every six months to check the testosterone level, he says. He works out and takes nutritional supplements to keep his level up. He stays away from pure testosterone because it is illegal. – In Norway, you have to have very low levels to get a prescription from the doctor, says Zoran. Low sex drive – Here’s the testosterone and here’s the estrogen. They are almost exactly the same. Per Medbøe Thorsby points to a board in his office with pictures of our sex hormones. He is section chief physician at the hormone laboratory at Oslo University Hospital Aker, and one of Norway’s foremost experts on hormones. – Testosterone fluctuates greatly throughout the day. It’s sky high in the morning, then it’s almost zero in the evening, says section chief Per Thorsby at the hormone laboratory at Oslo University Hospital Aker. Photo: Snorre Tønset / news – Testosterone is converted to estrogen. If you get too much testosterone, you get too much oestrogen, says Thorsby. He believes that there are several misunderstandings out there that make young men want to measure their levels. Among other things, testosterone fluctuates a lot throughout the day. – It is sky high in the morning, then it is almost zero in the evening. Even after we eat it gets very low. So if you take the test a little later in the day, you think you have a deficiency, even though you may not have it, he says. If you get too much testosterone, it is converted into estrogen. And testosterone levels fluctuate a lot during the course of a day, explains Per Thorsby. Photo: Snorre Tønset / news He reacts to the fact that so many more young men want to measure their testosterone levels. – I’m a little surprised, I have to say. We have no evidence that it would be medically necessary to have it done, says Per Thorsby. Published 19.09.2024, at 20.15
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More young men are checking their testosterone levels – news Norway – Overview of news from different parts of the country
