WEIGHT loss jabs could boost men’s sex lives, a study suggests.
Research found injections like Wegovy and Mounjaro can raise blokes’ low testosterone levels.
The hormone is a big factor in the male sex drive, known as libido, as well as a driver of strength, muscle gain and fat loss.
Testosterone levels commonly decline with age or when someone is obese or has type 2 diabetes – amounting to millions of men in the UK.
A study by the St Louis University Hospital in Missouri, USA, tracked 110 men in their 40s, 50s and 60s who were being treated with semaglutide – aka Ozempic or Wegovy – or tirzepatide, known as Mounjaro.
At the start of their treatment just 53 per cent of the men had normal testosterone levels.
Symptoms of low testosterone can include tiredness, weakness and fat gain, feeling depressed, brain fog, and a lack of desire or inability to perform in the bedroom.
Treatment increased rate of healthy testosterone
After 18 months of treatment with the fat jabs, the proportion of men with healthy hormone levels increased to 77 per cent.
Study author Dr Shellsea Portillo Canales said: “Our study is among the first to provide compelling evidence that low testosterone can be reversed with the use of commonly prescribed anti-obesity medications.
“Doctors and their patients can now consider this class of medications not only for the treatment of obesity and to control blood sugar, but also to benefit men’s reproductive health.”
More than 1.5million Brits are thought to be taking weight loss injections, known as GLP-1 receptor agonists.
NHS prescriptions have rocketed from 1.4million in 2023 to 2.7million in 2024, and more than a million people are paying for them privately.
As well as rapid weight loss and treatment for type 2 diabetes, research suggests the jabs may also reduce the risk of some cancers, heart diseases and dementia.
Everything you need to know about fat jabs
Weight loss jabs are all the rage as studies and patient stories reveal they help people shed flab at almost unbelievable rates, as well as appearing to reduce the risk of serious diseases.
Wegovy – a modified version of type 2 diabetes drug Ozempic – and Mounjaro are the leading weight loss injections used in the UK.
Wegovy, real name semaglutide, has been used on the NHS for years while Mounjaro (tirzepatide) is a newer and more powerful addition to the market.
Mounjaro accounts for most private prescriptions for weight loss and is set to join Wegovy as an NHS staple this year.
How do they work?
The jabs work by suppressing your appetite, making you eat less so your body burns fat for energy instead and you lose weight.
They do this my mimicking a hormone called GLP-1, which signals to the brain when the stomach is full, so the drugs are officially called GLP-1 receptor agonists.
They slow down digestion and increase insulin production, lowering blood sugar, which is why they were first developed to treat type 2 diabetes in which patients’ sugar levels are too high.
Can I get them?
NHS prescriptions of weight loss drugs, mainly Wegovy and an older version called Saxenda (chemical name liraglutide), are controlled through specialist weight loss clinics.
Typically a patient will have to have a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or higher, classifying them as medically obese, and also have a weight-related health condition such as high blood pressure.
GPs generally do not prescribe the drugs for weight loss.
Private prescribers offer the jabs, most commonly Mounjaro, to anyone who is obese (BMI of 30+) or overweight (BMI 25-30) with a weight-related health risk.
Private pharmacies have been rapped for handing them out too easily and video calls or face-to-face appointments are now mandatory to check a patient is being truthful about their size and health.
Are there any risks?
Yes – side effects are common but most are relatively mild.
Around half of people taking the drug experience gut issues, including sickness, bloating, acid reflux, constipation and diarrhoea.
Dr Sarah Jarvis, GP and clinical consultant at patient.info, said: “One of the more uncommon side effects is severe acute pancreatitis, which is extremely painful and happens to one in 500 people.”
Other uncommon side effects include altered taste, kidney problems, allergic reactions, gallbladder problems and hypoglycemia.
Evidence has so far been inconclusive about whether the injections are damaging to patients’ mental health.
Figures obtained by The Sun show that, up to January 2025, 85 patient deaths in the UK were suspected to be linked to the medicines.
