Testosterone trafficking and the addiction to performance: the production of masculinity through the illegal use of bioidentical hormones

Abstract

This article presents the initial reflections of a research project that began in December 2023. Its objective is to understand the discourses and justifications surrounding the use of bioidentical testosterone among men who share their experiences with this substance in WhatsApp groups. Although common sense suggests that the pursuit of this hormone and its derivatives is solely for aesthetic purposes, users—mostly amateur athletes from different disciplines—turn to ergogenic substances to enhance their athletic and sexual performance, increase daily productivity, and even as a kind of antidepressant. Additionally, there are frequently men between the ages of 30 and 40 who use these groups to pursue Testosterone Replacement Therapy. Given this scenario, the article analyzes the construction of masculinity through the consumption of bioidentical testosterone without medical prescription, mapping the discourses surrounding this practice in forums and social media through a digital ethnography. This investigation seeks to understand how individuals produce meaning and self-perception through the quantification of subjectivity and the biochemical management of the body, as their self-conception is shaped by their total testosterone levels and the macronutrient tracking in their diets. Initial explorations of this universe indicate that hormone users become dependent on the physical and psychological effects that testosterone provides, as a life-quality-enhancing drug, since it fosters a form of hypermasculinity.