What did @daviddemesquita actually say?
The creator argued that men on testosterone can preserve fertility by combining HCG and Clomid, reducing their testosterone dose to somewhere between 80 and 120 mg, and following a low-carbohydrate diet. His core logic: testosterone lowers SHBG, but because it aromatizes into estrogen, that estrogen partially offsets the SHBG suppression. He then claimed this SHBG elevation increases odds of conceiving a boy, a point he references from a prior video. He also acknowledged that HCG plus FSH is a better fertility protocol than HCG plus Clomid, which is an unusually honest concession for TikTok content.
A few terminology slips worth flagging: he called GnRH "going out of trip and releasing hormone," which is just a verbal stumble, not a factual error. He also said HCG "drives a balloonizing hormone," meaning luteinizing hormone (LH). Sloppy phrasing, but the underlying mechanism he described is correct.
Does the science back this up?
Partially, yes. The HCG and Clomid combination for fertility preservation on TRT is supported by real clinical evidence, though HCG plus FSH is widely considered the stronger protocol. The SHBG-to-sex-ratio claim is where things get speculative fast.
On fertility: exogenous testosterone suppresses the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis, dramatically reducing LH, FSH, and consequently intratesticular testosterone and sperm production. HCG mimics LH, helping maintain intratesticular testosterone. Clomiphene citrate (Clomid) acts as a selective estrogen receptor modulator at the hypothalamus, stimulating endogenous GnRH and FSH release. The combination has clinical backing. Wenker et al. (2015, Fertility and Sterility) found that clomiphene citrate effectively stimulated spermatogenesis in hypogonadal men. Coviello et al. (2005, Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism) confirmed HCG maintains intratesticular testosterone during exogenous androgen use.
On SHBG and infant sex: the evidence is thin. One observational study (Lazarus et al., 1997, BMJ) suggested higher maternal SHBG was associated with male offspring, but this was maternal SHBG, not paternal. Extrapolating that to paternal SHBG as a strategy to conceive boys is a significant logical leap not supported by robust data.
What did they get wrong (or right)?
Credit where it is due: the core fertility mechanics are mostly accurate. HCG preserving intratesticular testosterone, Clomid stimulating GnRH and FSH, and the acknowledgment that "HCG and FSH" is the better protocol, these are defensible clinical positions. The dose-reduction suggestion, keeping testosterone to 80-120 mg to allow Clomid to work, reflects reasonable clinical reasoning even if the specific numbers are presented without individualized context.
What he got wrong, or at least oversold: the SHBG and sex-selection angle. There is no reliable clinical evidence that a man can meaningfully increase his odds of having a boy by manipulating his own SHBG levels through diet or hormone adjustments. The sex of an embryo is determined by which sperm fertilizes the egg, and while some hypotheses exist around Y-sperm motility and pH, SHBG manipulation in the father has not been shown to shift those odds in controlled studies. Presenting this as a actionable strategy misleads viewers.
The low-carb diet claim also needs scrutiny. Some studies show low-carbohydrate diets modestly raise SHBG (Longcope et al., 2000, American Journal of Clinical Nutrition), but the effect size is small and the clinical relevance to sex selection is entirely unproven.
What should you actually know?
If you are on TRT and want to conceive, the conversation starts with a reproductive endocrinologist or urologist, not a TikTok comment section. The fertility preservation landscape on TRT is genuinely evolving, and there are real options available.
HCG monotherapy, HCG combined with Clomid, and HCG combined with recombinant FSH all have evidence behind them at varying levels. A 2013 review by Ramasamy et al. (Fertility and Sterility) found that FSH combined with HCG produced superior sperm recovery compared to HCG alone in men with suppressed spermatogenesis. This supports the creator's concession that HCG plus FSH is preferable.
What does not have solid evidence: manipulating paternal SHBG to select infant sex. This is speculative biology at best. Couples who have strong preferences around the sex of their child should speak with a reproductive specialist about methods that actually have clinical support, not adjust their diet based on a TikTok claim.
- Testosterone dose reduction during fertility attempts is a legitimate clinical strategy, but "80 to 120 mg" is not a universal prescription. Individual response varies significantly.
- Clomid is not FDA-approved for male infertility, though it is widely used off-label with reasonable evidence.
- HCG availability has changed significantly since the FDA's 2020 ruling on compounded HCG. Confirm current options with a licensed provider.