No — hCG is not a steroid. It's a peptide hormone that mimics luteinising hormone (one of the signals your brain sends to your testes), prompting your body to produce more of its own testosterone. Unlike testosterone replacement therapy (which uses controlled doses of testosterone to restore your levels to a healthy range), hCG doesn't add external testosterone to your system — it encourages your testes to make more of it.

What if I want to add hCG or another supporting medication?

Your specialist can add supporting medications where clinically appropriate — including hCG (to support fertility), aromatase inhibitors (to manage oestrogen), clomifene (to support your body's own production), or tadalafil (for sexual function). This is decided together during your consultation, based on your symptoms and your goals.

Can I buy testosterone online without a prescription in the UK?

No. Testosterone is a prescription-only medicine (POM) in the UK, which means it must be prescribed by a registered clinician after a proper assessment — including blood tests and a consultation. Anyone selling it without that is operating outside the law and putting your safety at risk.

Any time, through your account. There are no long contracts and no difficult conversations. If you'd prefer to pause rather than cancel, your specialist can work with you on that too.

hCG is a small injection given just under the skin (subcutaneous), typically 2 to 3 times a week. Your specialist will set your exact dose and schedule based on your baseline hormone levels and your goals. Injection training is included — a one-to-one walkthrough with a clinician so you can self-administer confidently at home.

How should I store hCG?

hCG needs to be refrigerated (between 2°C and 8°C) to keep it stable. Your supplies arrive in temperature-controlled packaging and should go straight into the fridge when they arrive. Your specialist and clinical team will walk you through storage and travel considerations — including what to do if you're travelling for longer periods.

Can hCG be used alongside testosterone replacement?

Yes. Many members on testosterone replacement therapy add hCG to their plan to support fertility — because classical TRT can suppress sperm production, hCG works as a counterbalance. Voy offers this combination as a single plan (testosterone cypionate + hCG) as well as hCG on its own. Your specialist will discuss which approach suits your goals.

Who is hCG best suited for?

Members whose low testosterone is linked to signalling issues rather than the testes themselves (known as secondary hypogonadism), members who want to preserve sperm production, and members who've had difficulty with side effects from classical TRT. Your specialist will confirm whether hCG is the right fit after reviewing your blood results.

Who shouldn't take hCG?

hCG may not be the right option if your testes aren't able to respond to LH signals (primary testicular failure), if your baseline oestrogen is already significantly elevated, or if your specialist identifies another reason during your consultation. In those cases, a different approach will be recommended.

hCG — fertility-preserving TRT alternative

What is hCG?

hCG — human chorionic gonadotropin — is a hormone that mimics luteinising hormone (LH), one of the signals your brain sends to your testes to tell them to produce testosterone. By stepping in as a stand-in for LH, hCG prompts your testes to make more testosterone and to keep producing sperm.

Because hCG stimulates your body's own production rather than replacing testosterone externally, it's often the right option for members who want to preserve fertility, who've had difficulty with side effects from classical TRT, or whose low testosterone is linked to signalling issues between the brain and testes (secondary hypogonadism). Your specialist can prescribe hCG on its own or alongside testosterone replacement to support fertility while treating symptoms.

References

^¹

Coviello, Andrea D., et al. “Low-dose Human Chorionic Gonadotropin Maintains Intratesticular Testosterone in Normal Men with Testosterone-induced Gonadotropin Suppression,” The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, vol. 90, issue 5, 2005:2595-2602 https://academic.oup.com/jcem/article-abstract/90/5/2595/2836735?redirectedFrom=fulltext&login=true.

^²

Fink, Julius, et al. “Human Chorionic Gonadotropin Treatment: A Viable Option for Management of Secondary Hypogonadism and Male Infertility,” Expert Review of Endocrinology & Metabolism, vol. 16, issue 1, 2021:1-8 https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/17446651.2021.1863783.

^³

Hsieh, Tung-Chin, et al. “Concomitant Intramuscular Human Chorionic Gonadotropin Preserves Spermatogenesis in Men Undergoing Testosterone Replacement Therapy,” Journal of Urology, vol. 189, issue 2, 2013:647-650 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23260550/.

^⁴

Jayasena, Channa N., et al. “Society for Endocrinology Guidelines for Testosterone Replacement Therapy in Male Hypogonadism,” Clinical Endocrinology, vol. 96, 2022:200-219 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/cen.14633.

^⁵

Kim, Sun-Ouck, et al. “Penile Growth in Response to Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (hCG) Treatment in Patients with Idiopathic Hypogonadotropic Hypogonadism,” Chonnam Medical Journal, vol. 47, issue 1, 2011:39-42 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3214853/.

^⁶

Lee, John Alden, and Ramasamy, Ranjith. “Indications for the Use of Human Chorionic Gonadotropic Hormone for the Management of Infertility in Hypogonadal Men,” Translational Andrology and Urology, vol. 7, supplement 3, 2018 https://tau.amegroups.org/article/view/19649/html.

^⁷

“LiverTox: Clinical and Research Information on Drug-induced Liver Injury,” National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, 2018 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK548856/. Accessed 16 Dec. 2025.

^⁸

Madhusoodanan, Vinayak, et al. “Human Chorionic Gonadotropin Monotherapy for the Treatment of Hypogonadal Symptoms in Men with Total Testosterone >300ng/dL,” International Brazilian Journal of Urology, vol. 45, issue 5, 2019:1008-1012 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6844348/.

^⁹

Padrón, R.S., et al. “Prolonged Biphasic Response of Plasma Testosterone to Single Intramuscular Injections of Human Chorionic Gonadotropin,” The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, vol. 50, issue 6, 1980:1100-1104 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/7372789/.

^¹⁰

Rainer, Quinn, et al. “The Safety of Human Chorionic Gonadotropin Monotherapy Among Men with Previous Exogenous Testosterone Use,” Cureus, vol. 14, issue 6, 2022:e25826 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9271319/.

^¹¹

Rastrelli, G et al. “Factors Affecting Spermatogenesis upon Gonadotropin-replacement Therapy: A Meta-analytic Study.” Andrology vol. 2,6 (2014): 794-808. doi:10.1111/andr.262

^¹²

Smith, Diederik L., et al. “Efficacy of Human Chorionic Gonadotropin Hormone in Restoring Spermatogenesis in Men Using Non-prescribed Androgens: A Retrospective Analysis of Real-world Data,” F&S Reports, vol. 6, issue 2, 2025:120-126 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666334125000509.

^¹³

Yang, Luo, et al. “Application of Hormonal Treatment in Hypogonadotropic Hypogonadism: More than Ten Years Experience,” International Urology and Nephrology, vol. 44, issue 2, 2012:393-399. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21989858/.

^¹⁴

Zucker, Isaac, et al. “Efficacy and Safety of Human Chorionic Gonadotropin Monotherapy for Men with Hypogonadal Symptoms and Normal Testosterone,” Cureus, vol. 14, issue 5, 2022:e25543. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9246432/.

hCG (human chorionic gonadotropin)

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