‘MEN GET HORMONAL TOO’: TUBE ADVERTS AND THE ANDROCENTRIC HEALTHCARE SYSTEM

Posters bearing bold slogans such as ‘Men get hormonal too’ and ‘It’s not him, it’s his hormones’ have popped up throughout the London Underground in recent months, sparking controversy and igniting frustration amongst many women. These adverts proclaim that low levels of testosterone in men may be ruining their lives and causing symptoms such as ‘low sex drive’ and ‘fatigue’.

But are these declarations of men’s hormonal struggles, plastered across the walls of the London Underground, an important message about research into men’s hormonal health? Or are they simply another example of how the patriarchy is deeply ingrained within global medical research?

So, who is this advert speaking to and what is its aim? Voy is a UK-based weight loss programme combining medication, like Mounjaro, with coaching in an attempt to facilitate a long-term approach to weight loss and habit change.

In their recent adverts, the small print reads ‘get an at home test’, advertising a ‘£20 at home blood test’. The advert suggests that this affordable and accessible test may help men to identify issues like ‘low sex drive’ and ‘feeling irritable’ as symptoms of ‘low testosterone’. In this sense, Voy seems to be calling the public to recognise the negative effects that fluctuating hormones can have on men’s daily experiences, and is pushing their brand as the solution to this.

However, to what extent is there really a medical correlation? Naturally, hormones play a part in human experience, growth and mood. However, medical research seems to largely suggest that testosterone is not the root of these physical and psychological symptoms in men, nor the magical cure.

A scientific journal describes ‘misguided patient demand confected by internet-based illusions of rejuvenation whereby testosterone is used as a tonic for sexual dysfunction, fatigue, or simply ageing’. Furthermore, the NHS states that ‘although testosterone levels fall as men age, the decline is steady at about 1% a year from around the age of 30 to 40, and this is unlikely to cause any problems in itself.’

All of these medical statistics seem to be outlining the same point. The correlation between testosterone and the symptoms outlined on the advertisements is extremely low. Instead, the NHS states that ‘psychological problems are typically brought on by work or relationship issues, money problems, or worrying about ageing parents.’

Therefore, whilst these adverts do have some medical validity, they may be slightly overexaggerating this connection. Despite this, their in-your-face slogans give middle-aged men the medical spotlight once again.

These attention-grabbing adverts have been the subject of much conversation across various social media outlets, newspapers and journals. The adverts have made the pages of The Times and The Week, as well as being said to ‘do more harm than good’ in an article in The Telegraph. On TikTok and Instagram, many women have expressed frustration upon seeing these adverts pop up on their daily commute, particularly whilst they are experiencing menstrual pain or hormonal emotional dysregulation that they are expected to mask whilst they sit at their 9-5s.

It is the phrase ‘get hormonal’ from the poster ‘Men get hormonal too’ which trivialises and simplifies the experiences of women. Endometriosis, Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder, menstrual cramps, migraines and bloating, not to mention the never-ending list of horrifying birth control side effects, are passed off as simply ‘getting hormonal’. This language reminds many women of the typical female experience of being belittled, overlooked, and squeezed into the constraints of a male-centred medical system.

The use of ‘too’ may come across as patronising to women, stripping them of the right to their own individual experience, as it implies that men know and experience the same issues. It makes this phrase sound like a response and an active call to draw the attention away from the experiences of women and to focus on male hormones, suggesting that women have had enough attention already. However, this could not be further from the truth.

The reality is that women are consistently overlooked in medical research, treatment and education. The Academy of Medical Sciences states that ‘Some conditions, such as endometriosis, currently take in the UK on average 8 years to be correctly diagnosed.’

Women are painfully suffering for almost decades of their life without knowing why. Additionally, research into women’s health is incredibly underfunded as ‘for every £1 spent by the NHS caring for reproductive issues, just 1p is spent on research’. Even when this research is actually conducted, women are not proportionally represented, with ‘women currently [making] up only 14% of board-level positions in the life sciences industry’.

How can we look after the women in the UK if we have such little power, money and research? And how can we possibly be expected to feel okay with these humongous taunting posters that remind us of the money and time given to male-centred research, whilst thousands of women suffer in pain without diagnosis or a voice? We can’t have medical equality without medical equity. The focus on men’s hormone cycles is justified, but when this draws attention away from the exclusion of women within healthcare, it’s important that we stand up for ourselves.

Editor: Eva Taper-Boyd

• female health
• tube adverts
• women's health