Barriers to diagnosis and accessing effective treatment and support for testosterone deficiency

Abstract

Testosterone deficiency is common but often undiagnosed and untreated with many men struggling with symptoms for years before reaching out for healthcare professional advice. In order to gain an holistic view of the barriers to men accessing effective treatment, this qualitative study captures the behaviours, beliefs and experiences of all key stakeholders: men with testosterone deficiency, general practitioners (GPs) and endocrinologists. The main findings include a lack of awareness and knowledge of the range of symptoms of testosterone deficiency amongst men and GPs, and stigma and embarrassment inhibiting open, proactive discussions between men and GPs and limiting diagnosis. Endocrinologists believe many men referred to them could be appropriately managed by GPs. Endocrinologists’ responsibility is to assess and provide appropriate treatment for more complicated cases, which often involves additional investigations that men are not expecting and might not result in treatment with testosterone therapy.

Keywords

• testosterone deficiency
• testosterone therapy
• patient research