Has the birth movement become mainstream?
The Trump administration is considering baby bonuses. Is it enough to encourage people to have more children?
The birth rate in the United States has been steadily decreasing since 2007, and both in the White House and outs – birthers are determined to raise it. However, a disability without an obstacle may be in the way.
More and more men are using testosterone supplements in the hopes that they will not know the effects of the drug on fertility, and more public figures, from Joe Rogan to Dachshell Shepherd, are informing them of the use of the supplement. From 2016 to 2019, prescriptions for testosterone replacement therapy (TRT, or “T”) have increased by 20%. Dr. Masaya Jimbo, a urologist and male infertility expert at Reproductive Medicine Associates Philadelphia, says more college students are seeking or taking testosterone in his practice.
However, studies show that up to 25% of men do not check their testosterone levels before starting treatment, and up to a third do not meet the criteria for testosterone deficiency. Jimbo warns that the desirable benefits of TRT (such as increased sexual impulses and improved fitness) do not explicitly outweigh the damage that TRT does to men’s fertility.
“There are a lot of men who think testosterone is even more stimulating them, but in reality, testosterone tells them their test circle to shut down,” says Dr Neil Shah, chief medical officer at Maven Clinic, a virtual clinic for women and family health. “Within three to six months, they can’t produce any of them, as they produce normal amounts of sperm.”
What is testosterone? Risks and Benefits of Testosterone Replacement Therapy
Testosterone is a hormone produced mainly by the test circle that helps maintain bone density, fat distribution, muscle strength and mass, facial and body hair, red blood cell production, sex drive, and sperm production.
Testosterone levels generally peak in adolescence and young adults, and begin to decline by about 1% per year at age 30 or 40. Blood tests are used to diagnose low testosterone levels.
Studies have shown that patients who do not meet the diagnostic criteria for testosterone deficiency are often prescribed testosterone therapy based on ambiguous symptoms. Some of his college patients report that Jimbo is taking testosterone supplements from friends.
“There is a large community that considers testosterone to be important or beneficial, and it’s purely strengthened to enhance treatment,” he says. He often sees patients who say, “All my friends do that.”
In 2018, Joe Rogan said on a podcast that he turned 40 to “feel better” and started TRT to “work well.”
Still, he warned him to go overboard with testosterone.
“I’m going to a place where I have hormone levels in healthy young people,” Logan said. “You don’t want to be higher than that. That’s when you run into problems.”
Risks of TRT include sleep apnea, acne, or worsening skin reactions, and increased red blood cell production, which stimulates the growth of existing prostate cancer, expands the breast, limits sperm production, reduces tightening, and contributes to an increased risk of blood bacteria formation.
Also, testosterone supplements do not always offer advertised results. A 2019 survey evaluated 50 “T Booster” supplements for composition and product claims. 90% of supplements claim to “boost T”, 50% claim to “improve sexual desire” and 48% claim to “feel strong.” However, only 24.8% of supplements had data supporting these claims, and 10.1% contained active ingredients, with data suggesting they had a negative effect on T levels.
What does health and wellness mean to you: Sign up for USA’s Today Keeping It Together Newsletter
Testosterone therapy may reduce sperm count in men
The pituitary gland (the part of the brain that controls hormone release) produces two hormones: follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH). LH tells testmaru to make testosterone, which works with FSH to produce sperm.
Testosterone supplements can have a “quickly and dramatic” effect on birth rates, Jimbo says.
Once a person starts taking exogenous testosterone, the pituitary gland realizes that it no longer needs to produce it on its own.
It usually takes 3-6 months for sperm production to resume, but people who take high doses of testosterone for a long time will take longer to return to normal sperm production. It can take up to three years for sperm to recover, but in a small number of patients, sperm production does not fully recover.
Research shows that for heterosexual couples trying to conceive, if the cause of infertility can be attributed to a known factor, it is about 50-50 divisions between male and female factors. Male partners were solely responsible for about 20% of infertility, and were found to be a contributing factor for an additional 30-40% of all cases.
“Usually, when people want to start giving birth, they really want to start giving birth,” says Shah. “The difference between having to wait six or 12 months really makes sense.”
Biohacking, misconceptions of masculinity can undermine fertility
Biohacking is the pursuit of achieving “the best possible outcome” from your body, even if you need extreme measures, which has exploded in the wellness industry.
“2025 is a very different era in that you can generally get your medication by pressing a button,” says Shah. Telehealth providers have streamlined the process of prescribing testosterone therapy (among many other drugs such as GLP-1), and have expanded the market for testosterone supplements.
“I think there’s a lot of unmeasured testosterone use, and it’s coming back to fertility clinics,” says Shah.
A 2025 report by Maven Clinic, which surveyed over 500 men aged 25-49, found that men (55%) who are currently trying to conceive in the future or planning more than half of their pregnancy can be motivated to undergo lifestyle changes if they are convinced that the change will help them conceive their child.
“Anexibly, the majority of people are extremely pleased to make the necessary changes to have a family once they are able to have testosterone and children,” says Shah.
