The others are the others: perceptions of male users about the adverse effects of testosterone

Abstract

This article analyzes the perception of male users of testosterone about the adverse effects of the hormone, aiming to question the effectiveness and the scope of health actions for this practice. This empirical study was conducted with data obtained in 2016, mostly in Rio de Janeiro, from life history interviews with 21 male users of testosterone, with or without medical monitoring, from different backgrounds. In the light of gender and masculinity studies, it discusses how men interpret the impacts of testosterone use from a social valorization of certain traits associated with a normalized manhood ideal. The results indicate an invisibilization or re-signification of the potentially negative effects of the hormone, culminating in a widespread perception that it causes little or no harm. Moreover, the problems associated with testosterone use acquire stereotyped characters, through a process of denying self-responsibility and reaffirming attributes of an ideal type of masculinity. This study is expected to contribute to the development of more adequate and, therefore, more effective health actions to users’ daily lives.