![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/SEC_279741193-8533.jpg\")
\n\t\tA new series of adverts is looking to focus on men\u2019s hormonal health (Picture: Getty Images\/Metro)<\/p>\n
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\n\t\tA new series of adverts is looking to focus on men\u2019s hormonal health (Picture: Getty Images\/Metro)<\/p>\n
\u2018It\u2019s not him, it\u2019s his hormones.\u2019<\/p>\n
Every woman has been belittled at some point in her life for being overly \u2018hormonal,\u2019 whether that\u2019s by a doctor or in a particularly toxic relationship.<\/p>\n
So, it took me back to see this very same insult instead being levelled at men, as part of a slew of adverts I saw popping up on the Tube.<\/p>\n
Encouraging men to check their hormones<\/a>, the posters are from Voy, a company that offers weight loss treatments <\/a>like Mounjaro<\/a>, Wegovy, Saxenda, and Orlos, as well as testosterone and menopause treatments<\/a>.<\/p>\n At first, it might seem insensitive to suggest that men\u2019s hormone levels also fluctuate \u2014 or that they have it as bad as women. To say the tag line made my eyes roll is an understatement.<\/p>\n It\u2019s also all kinds of problematic to dismiss bad behaviour as being \u2018down to hormones\u2019. But this isn\u2019t just a tongue-in-cheek, headline-grabbing advertising campaign: there\u2019s some truth behind it. Men should be more on top of their hormones. It\u2019s just a shame we\u2019re recycling old insults to get the job done.<\/p>\n A spokesperson for Voy tells Metro<\/strong> that the campaign is about tackling stigma, insisting it\u2019s not intended to rage bait, or downplay the hormonal injustices that many women continue to face.<\/p>\n They state: \u2018Men are often taught to brush off hormonal symptoms or feel embarrassed by them, which stops people from getting support. <\/p>\n \u2018These ads are deliberately plain-spoken to make the issue feel normal, recognisable and worth talking about.\u2019<\/p>\n Do men\u2019s hormones fluctuate?<\/p>\n As Dr Jeff Foster, men\u2019s medical director at Voy, explains, men\u2019s hormones fluctuate on a daily basis, rather than a monthly or yearly cycle.<\/p>\n He tells Metro<\/strong>: \u2018We naturally produce most of our testosterone in the early hours of the morning (between 5am and 8am), and then it gradually declines\u00a0over the rest of the day. <\/p>\n \u2018Small things you do, like exercise, might increase it a little, but generally it is a daily repeatable peak and then drop as the day drags on.\u2019<\/p>\n \t\t Across their lifetime, men will also see a gradual decline in testosterone, particularly from the age of 30 onwards (by between 1 and 2% each year). And, even if they\u2019re super healthy, this will still inevitably drop.<\/p>\n \u2018Other things will affect this, like lifestyle factors, or even mild medical problems such as blood pressure, asthma or diabetes<\/a>,\u2019 Dr Jeff adds.<\/p>\n They\u2019re also massively affected by multiple external factors such as sleep quality, diet, exercise, medical problems, age, which means that actually it is a really sensitive hormone which can fluctuate wildly.\u2019<\/p>\n There\u2019s also the term \u2018male menopause,\u2019 (also known as the \u2018andropause\u2019) which, as Dr Jeff explains, was coined to try to help people outside of the medical field understand the changes in male hormones with age.<\/p>\n \t\t However, as he notes, while there\u2019s strong evidence that testosterone levels decline with age, unlike the menopause, not every single man is affected. And not everyone needs to be on replacement therapy, as the key to treating low testosterone is identifying a cause, as it can be improved with lifestyle tweaks, such as sleeping better or working to reduce stress.<\/p>\n Dr Jeff says: \u2018The male Massachusetts ageing study suggested that about 12% of men over 40 have the condition, about 40% of type two diabetic men have the condition, and we think overall about 25% of all men will have biochemical low levels of testosterone.\u2019<\/p>\n \u2018The symptoms of low testosterone in men are also very similar to menopause in women and are characterised by loss of libido and or erectile dysfunction, loss in muscle mass, increase in body fat, brain fog, irritability, changes in memory and mood, and an increase in various other health<\/a> problems such as osteoporosis and heart disease.\u2019<\/p>\n \t\t\t\tWhy is testosterone so significant in the first place? \t\t\t<\/p>\n He says: \u2018There is good evidence that low testosterone in men is associated with an increase in multiple medical conditions, including increased risk of osteoporosis and fractures, an increased risk of metabolic disease and type two diabetes, an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, depression<\/a>, anxiety, cognition and memory problems, changes in body shape and societal and relationship issues.<\/p>\n \u2018In fact, evidence suggests that low testosterone is associated with an increase in overall mortality. Effectively, if you have a testosterone deficiency, you are just more likely to die sooner.\u2019<\/p>\n Women and hormonal imbalances: Systemic injustice<\/p>\n Two things can be true at once. <\/p>\n Yes, there needs to be more education around the hormonal changes that men experience. <\/p>\n We also need to be mindful that every women is affected by the menopause, an often life-changing stage that can\u2019t solely be treated by lifestyle tweaks.<\/p>\n A 2018 study <\/a>shows that 80% of women live with some form of hormonal imbalance, many of whom don\u2019t realise; 70% are completely unaware that they\u2019re living with PCOS, which can signify hormonal irregularities.<\/p>\n Menopause also signifies a huge upheaval in women\u2019s hormonal regulation, and some women aren\u2019t always given the life-improving care they deserve.<\/p>\n According to one 2024 report<\/a>, women from Black, Asian and low socioeconomic backgrounds are statistically much less likely to be prescribed treatment than their more affluent, white counterparts. <\/p>\n Across 1.85 million female patients, 5.2% of Black women have been prescribed HRT (hormone replacement therapy), compared to 6.2% of Asian women and 23.3% of white women. <\/p>\n \t\t No, men\u2019s hormone levels don\u2019t fluctuate as intensely as women\u2019s do. But, as Ollie Matthews, a nutritionist specialising in male hormonal health, shares, it\u2019s for this reason that it can go unnoticed.<\/p>\n \u2018Men don\u2019t experience menopause in the same way, and there\u2019s no sudden shutdown in hormones, but the concept is real and very much a problem in today\u2019s society,\u2019 he tells Metro<\/strong>.<\/p>\n \u2018Other hormones will also shift, it isn\u2019t just testosterone, I always look into thyroid, cortisol, insulin and glucose management in my clinic. <\/p>\n \u2018Suicides are at a very high level right now, and some studies say the highest for nearly 30 years. Men in their 40s are the most at-risk demographic, andropause is one of the biggest factors in this.\u2019<\/p>\n As Ollie adds, men need to understand that testosterone does matter.<\/p>\n He concludes: \u2018Fatigue, low sex drive, low moods, waking through the night, they\u2019re a lot to deal with. Being given anti-depressants or being told they need to \u201cpractice wellbeing\u201d is quite frankly irresponsible.<\/p>\n \u2018We need to be able to take responsibility for our own health, and our own lifestyle makes a big impact on our hormones, not just testosterone.\u2019<\/p>\n Do you have a story to share?<\/strong><\/p>\n Get in touch by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam@Metro.co.uk<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n Arrow Arrow Arrow![\"Pills](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/GettyImages-2212698447.jpg\")
\n\t\tMen\u2019s testosterone levels fluctuate too (Picture: Getty Images)<\/p>\n![\"Portrait](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/GettyImages-2185484940.jpg\")
\n\t\tTestosterone levels can be improved with fitness (Picture: Getty Images)<\/p>\n![\"White](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/GettyImages-2244468722.jpg\")
\n\t\tWomen\u2019s hormonal health is rarely taken seriously (Picture: Getty Images)
\nDo men\u2019s hormone levels fluctuate as intensely?<\/p>\n
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\nMORE: \u2018My mum was told her dementia symptoms were down to menopause\u2019<\/a><\/p>\n
\nMORE: I live with HIV \u2013 people still ask if I\u2019m \u2018clean\u2019<\/a><\/p>\n