@gachau_njoroge's HCG claims for steroid users, fact-checked

What did @gachau_njoroge actually say?

The creator walks through reconstituting lyophilized (freeze-dried) HCG, instructs viewers to roll rather than shake the vial, and says it must be refrigerated at 2-8 degrees Celsius after reconstitution. They recommend using an insulin syringe and injecting subcutaneously around the abdomen. The stated purpose is to "restore fertility once you're done using steroids." They describe HCG as a luteinizing hormone (LH) analog and frame it as necessary for post-cycle therapy (PCT) or intra-cycle therapy in anabolic-androgenic steroid (AAS) users.

Worth noting: the creator repeatedly says "HZG" rather than HCG, which appears to be a pronunciation artifact, not a different compound. The disclaimer that this is not medical advice does not reduce the practical instructional nature of the content, which walks a general audience through self-injection of a prescription hormone.

Does the science back this up?

Partially. HCG does mimic LH at the Leydig cell level, and there is solid evidence supporting its use to preserve or restore testicular function in men using exogenous androgens. But calling it a simple fertility fix overstates the case.

Exogenous testosterone suppresses the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis, reducing LH and FSH secretion, which causes testicular atrophy and impairs spermatogenesis. HCG stimulates testicular LH receptors, maintaining intratesticular testosterone (ITT) and Leydig cell function. Coviello et al. (2005, Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism) showed that low-dose HCG co-administered with testosterone maintained ITT levels, while testosterone alone caused a 94% reduction in ITT. Turek et al. (1995, Journal of Urology) documented recovery of sperm production in men after exogenous androgen suppression, though recovery timelines vary considerably and are not guaranteed. The "roll don't shake" instruction is also pharmacologically sound. Agitation can cause protein denaturation in peptide hormones. Reconstituted HCG stability at 2-8 degrees Celsius is supported by standard pharmaceutical guidance, typically stable for 30-60 days refrigerated depending on formulation.

What did they get wrong (or right)?

The creator gets the core mechanism directionally correct but skips important nuance in ways that could genuinely mislead viewers.

What they got right: rolling the vial instead of shaking, refrigerating after reconstitution, using an insulin syringe for subcutaneous injection, and the general framing of HCG as an LH analog that supports testicular function during or after AAS use. These are consistent with clinical practice.

What they got wrong, or at least dangerously incomplete: HCG is not sufficient for full PCT in most AAS cycles. FSH, which HCG does not replicate, is required for Sertoli cell function and spermatogenesis. HCG alone does not restore the HPG axis. Conventional PCT protocols used in clinical fertility medicine typically combine HCG with selective estrogen receptor modulators (SERMs) like clomiphene or tamoxifen to stimulate endogenous gonadotropin release. Ramasamy et al. (2014, Journal of Urology) documented that combination therapy outperformed HCG alone in restoring spermatogenesis after AAS suppression. Framing HCG as a simple checklist item that "restores fertility" after steroids is misleading. Recovery is probabilistic, not guaranteed, and duration of AAS use significantly affects outcomes.

What should you actually know?

If you are using AAS and concerned about fertility or testicular function, the self-injection tutorial on TikTok is not a substitute for a reproductive endocrinologist or a urologist with andrology experience.

HCG is a prescription medication in most jurisdictions. It is not legally obtained without a physician's evaluation. The reconstitution and injection instructions here are broadly accurate at a mechanical level, but the absence of any discussion of dosing errors, contamination risk, injection site infection, or when HCG is actually contraindicated makes this video incomplete at best. People with hormone-sensitive conditions, prior testicular cancer, or certain endocrine disorders face real risks from unsupervised HCG use. Ideally, anyone considering HCG for testicular preservation during AAS use would have baseline semen analysis, hormone panels, and follow-up monitoring. The creator's disclaimer does not change the fact that this video will be used as instructional guidance by people with no clinical oversight. That is a meaningful harm potential, even if the underlying pharmacology is not entirely wrong.