The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved hCG injections to treat specific medical conditions. In females assigned at birth (FAABs), they can help treat infertility. In males assigned at birth (MAABs), they can treat a type of hypogonadism.
Human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) is sometimes called “the pregnancy hormone” because of its important role in maintaining pregnancy.
Pregnancy tests check hCG levels in the urine or blood to determine if a person is pregnant or not.
Read on to learn how it can be used for MAABs.
There are a variety of reasons why a doctor might prescribe hCG to a man.
To help address hypogonadism
In men, doctors prescribe hCG to help address the symptoms of hypogonadism, such as low testosterone and infertility. hCG can help the body increase its production of testosteroneand sperm, which can help reduce infertility.
To improve testosterone deficiency
Injections of hCG are also sometimes used as an alternative to testosterone products in MAABs with testosterone deficiency.
Testosterone deficiency is defined as testosterone blood levels less than 300 nanograms per deciliter (ng/dL) along with symptoms of low testosterone. These include:
- fatigue
- stress
- a low sex drive
- depressed mood
According to the American Urological Association, hCG is appropriate for those MAABs with testosterone deficiency who also desire to maintain fertility.
Testosterone products boost levels of the hormone in the body but can have the side effects of shrinking the gonads, altering sexual function, and causing infertility.
hCG can help increase:
- gonad size
- testosterone levels
- fertility
Some doctors believe that using testosterone along with hCG may help improve symptoms of testosterone deficiency while preventing some of testosterone’s side effects.
To improve sexual function
hCG may also help improve sexual function in MAABs who don’t experience improvement while on testosterone.
To reverse steroid side effects
Bodybuilders who take anabolic steroids such as testosterone also sometimes use hCG to help prevent or reverse some of the side effects steroids cause, such as gonad shrinkage and infertility.
In men, hCG acts like luteinizing hormone (LH). LH stimulates Leydig cells in the testicles, which results in the production of testosterone.
LH also stimulates production of sperm within structures in the testicles called seminiferous tubules.
As hCG stimulates the testicles to produce testosterone and sperm, the testicles grow in size over time.
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