Hypogonadism, MaleNCT07752511
Anticipated Stigma, Illness Identity, and Quality of Life in Male Hypogonadism
An observational study of Hypogonadism, Male and Endocrine Disease, run by Hacettepe University at 2 sites in Turkey (Türkiye).
Trial summary
This study aims to systematically compare the levels of anticipated illness stigma and illness identity among men diagnosed with hypogonadism to those of men with other chronic endocrine conditions (e.g., diabetes mellitus, hypothyroidism, and hypertension). Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 years and older, men only
- Conditions the study is for
- Hypogonadism, Male, Endocrine Disease, Hypertension
- How many people
- 90 participants
- Where
- 2 sitesTurkey (Türkiye)
- Study dates
- 1 Oct 2026to 30 Oct 2027
- How long will I take part?
- 1 Day
- Phase
- Observational
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 18 years and older
- Men only
- No healthy volunteers
- Adult, Older adult
Study population: Male patients aged 18 years and older who are routinely followed up at the endocrinology outpatient clinic of Malatya Training and Research Hospital. The population comprises two distinct subgroups: men with a biochemically confirmed diagnosis of hypogonadism and age-matched men diagnosed with other chronic endocrine or metabolic conditions (diabetes mellitus, hypertension, or hypothyroidism) without hypogonadism.
Who may be able to join
- Cases:
- Male, aged 18 years or older.
- Biochemically confirmed hypogonadism (total testosterone < 300 ng/dL with at least one clinical symptom).
- Regular follow-up at the endocrinology outpatient clinic.
- Fluent in reading and understanding Turkish.
- Signed informed consent.
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- Controls:
- Male, aged 18 years or older.
- Diagnosed with diabetes, hypertension, or hypothyroidism under regular endocrinology follow-up.
- Total testosterone ≥ 300 ng/dL.
- Age-matched to a participant in the case group (±5 years).
- Fluent in reading and understanding Turkish.
- Signed informed consent.
Who cannot join
- Active psychiatric diagnosis (e.g., active psychosis, bipolar disorder).
- Chronic inflammatory or rheumatological diseases affecting body composition (e.g., chronic kidney disease, IBD, rheumatoid arthritis, SLE, ankylosing spondylitis).
- Uncontrolled co-existing endocrine conditions or severe complications (e.g., HbA1c > 8.0%, diabetic neuropathy/nephropathy/retinopathy, non-euthyroid state).
- Cognitive impairment or dementia precluding questionnaire completion.
- Klinefelter syndrome.
- Literacy limitations preventing completion of self-report measures.
- Additional control exclusion: Diagnosis or clinical suspicion of hypogonadism.
Trial locations and contacts
2 sites in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.
Turkey (Türkiye)2 sites
Bingöl University Faculty of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation
Bingoel
Aybüke Fanuscu, Pt, PhD, +904262160012 ext. 5548, afanuscu@bingol.edu.tr
Malatya Training and Research Hospital
Malatya
Emine Şener Aydın, MD, +904222118019, dreminesener@windowslive.com
About this study
Official title: The Impact of Anticipated Illness Stigma and Illness Identity on Quality of Life in Men With Hypogonadism: A Comparative Study With Other Chronic Endocrine Diseases
This study aims to systematically compare the levels of anticipated illness stigma and illness identity among men diagnosed with hypogonadism to those of men with other chronic endocrine conditions (e.g., diabetes mellitus, hypothyroidism, and hypertension). Furthermore, it examines whether these psychosocial variables predict quality-of-life deterioration specifically within the hypogonadism cohort.
Read the detailed description
Hypogonadism is a chronic endocrine condition characterized by subnormal serum testosterone levels. Unlike other chronic metabolic conditions, hypogonadism directly threatens core attributes of male gender identity, including sexual function, physical capacity, and reproductive potential. While biological manifestations and medical management are well documented, the psychosocial dimensions of hypogonadism, specifically anticipated stigma and illness identity, remain insufficiently explored in clinical research.
Anticipated stigma involves cognitive expectations of negative reactions, judgment, or discrimination from interpersonal, occupational, and healthcare environments. In conditions where illness poses a direct threat to gender role identity, anticipated stigma may be heightened compared to non-identity-threatening chronic conditions such as diabetes or hypertension. Furthermore, the degree to which an individual integrates the diagnosis into their self-concept (illness identity) may interact with anticipated stigma to exacerbate health-related quality-of-life impairments.
This study systematically evaluates anticipated stigma and illness identity in men with hypogonadism in comparison to age-matched controls with other chronic endocrine conditions treated in the same clinical setting. The primary objective is to determine whether anticipated stigma levels differ significantly between these groups and to examine the predictive capacity of anticipated stigma and illness identity on disease-specific symptom burden and quality-of-life outcomes within the hypogonadism cohort.
- Conditions
- Hypogonadism, Male, Endocrine Disease, Hypertension
- Keywords
- Hypogonadism, Anticipated Stigma, Illness Identity, Quality of Life, Chronic Endocrine Diseases, Psychosocial Factors
- Medical subject headings
- Eunuchism, Endocrine System Diseases, Hypertension, Hypogonadism
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Hypogonadism Group (Case) | Male patients aged 18 years or older with biochemically confirmed hypogonadism (total testosterone < 300 ng/dL with at least one clinical symptom) undergoing regular follow-up in the endocrinology clinic. | |
| Control Group (Other Chronic Endocrine Diseases) | Male patients aged 18 years or older diagnosed with diabetes mellitus, hypertension, or hypothyroidism without hypogonadism (total testosterone ≥ 300 ng/dL), matched by age (±5 years) to the case group and under regular follow-up in the same endocrinology clinic. |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Chronic Illness Anticipated Stigma Scale (CIASS) Score
Measures anticipated stigma across three subscales (friends/family, work, healthcare workers) on a 5-point Likert scale.
Measured: Baseline (Single session, day 1)
Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire (Brief IPQ) Score
Assesses cognitive and emotional representations of illness. Higher total scores indicate a more threatening illness perception.
Measured: Baseline (Single session, day 1)
Secondary outcomes (2)
Aging Males' Symptoms (AMS) Scale Score
Evaluates the severity of symptoms related to aging/hypogonadism across somatic, psychological, and sexual domains.
Measured: Baseline (Single session, day 1)
Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) Score
Measures anxiety and depression symptom severity via 14 items (7 anxiety, 7 depression).
Measured: Baseline (Single session, day 1)
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted7 Aug 2026
- Study start1 Oct 2026 (estimated)
- Primary completion20 Oct 2027 (estimated)
- Study completion30 Oct 2027 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Hypogonadism, MaleStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Observational
- Observational model
- Case-control
- Time perspective
- Cross-sectional
- Enrolment
- 90 participants (estimated)
- Target duration
- 1 Day
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Hacettepe University
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Aybüke Fanuscu, Bingol University
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07752511
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- AF-202604
- Status last verified
- Aug 2026
- First submitted
- 4 Aug 2026
- Last updated
- 7 Aug 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No