men's health
∙5 minute read
When you tune into Two Pints with Will and Ralf, you know what you’re getting. A little chaos, a lot of laughter, and the kind of banter that makes you feel like you’re eavesdropping on old mates. Season six kicked off in a new studio with a fresh backdrop but the same laddish chemistry. Within minutes they were joking about their knobs, “scrotox” (yes, Botox for balls), and the physics of testicle temperature.
But this episode welcomed a guest who actually knows what he’s talking about: Dr Dave from Numan, a GP with over a decade of experience in men’s health. While Will and Ralf bounced off each other with stories of youthful mishaps, Dr Dave wove in expert insights about why blood testing matters, what testosterone really does, and why erectile dysfunction (ED) often signals bigger health issues than most blokes realise.
As the lads admitted they’d both had moments of “getting in their own head” in the bedroom, Dr Dave reminded them that ED isn’t always down to nerves or too many pints. “Men have this delusional belief that we’re invincible. Nothing’s going to go wrong with us. But the years creep up, and a blood test at our age is a good idea to look for a few things.”
The truth is, many men ignore health issues for years. They’ll happily chat about football, DIY, or dodgy knees in the pub, but say the words “erectile dysfunction” and the room goes silent. As Ralf put it, “That’s never going to come up in a conversation at the pub. If you do try it, most people just say, ‘put your knob away.’”
That silence matters because ED can be the body’s canary in a coal mine. “A lot of guys come to us thinking it’s testosterone,” Dr Dave explained, “but actually it can potentially be high sugar levels or early diabetes. Erections can be an early indicator of other problems with your health.”
And it’s not about accentuating or promoting any sensations of health anxiety. As well as giving you an indication as to whether your testosterone levels are in range, a blood test also checks cholesterol, blood sugar, kidney and liver function, helping connect the dots between how you feel and what’s going on inside.
One of the biggest reasons men avoid getting checked? Hassle. The thought of sitting in a GP waiting room or fumbling with a DIY finger-prick kit is enough to put most men off. That’s why Will was pleasantly surprised when Dr Dave revealed that alongside do-it-yourself blood tests, Numan also sends a professional to you if you opt for a testosterone venous blood test.
“We’re trying to make things as simple as possible,” Dr Dave said. “That’s why we have brilliant people like Dana come in and actually do a blood test at your home, maybe even your workplace. Because men are rubbish. We don’t want to go and sit in a doctor’s waiting room.”
To prove the point, phlebotomist Dana turned up live on the show to take Will and Ralf’s blood. Cue nervous laughter, bad jokes about “firm fists,” and Ralf admitting he’d had two pints before the test. The banter didn’t stop the message landing: this is simple, painless, and way less intimidating than most men think.
Of course, no episode about men’s health would be complete without a deep dive into testosterone. For many men, the word conjures up clichés of gym bros and Incredible Hulk types. Dr Dave was quick to set the record straight.
“We have testosterone receptors all over our body, and I think testosterone has got a terrible rep. It’s just a really important hormone for men (and women). Low testosterone can cause problems with erections and reduced libido, but it can also make you feel tired, lose your drive, affect concentration, and even cause depression.”
Too often, he said, men struggling with low mood are prescribed antidepressants when the real culprit is low testosterone. That’s why testing matters, because it allows doctors to see the bigger picture.
Treatment, he explained, isn’t one-size-fits-all. Sometimes lifestyle changes like exercise and cutting back on alcohol can help. Sometimes medical treatment is the right option. The point is, men don’t have to guess.
As Will and Ralf joked and interrupted with stories about saggy balls and dodgy erections, Dr Dave didn’t flinch. He laughed along, then steered the conversation back to why talking openly about these things matters.
It worked. Instead of feeling like a lecture, the episode sounded like what it was - a conversation between mates, with one of them happening to be a doctor. And all the laughs did was make the message easier to hear.
Because underneath the humour, there was a serious note, where men can’t afford to ignore their health. ED, fatigue, hair loss, or low mood might feel like annoyances, but they can also be signals. Getting checked isn't a weakness. It’s smart.
Numan’s partnership with Two Pints isn’t about sanitising the laughs or turning Will and Ralf into health gurus. It’s about leaning into what the show does best: making awkward conversations feel normal.
Dr Dave summed it up perfectly: “It’s never about just a single number pulled out of a lab result. It’s about looking at your overall health, how you feel, and putting those two things together so you can live the best life you can.” And if that message gets delivered between jokes about scrotox and thumbing it in, all the better.
Written by Hassan Thwaini
Clinical Pharmacist and Copywriter, Master of Pharmacy (MPharm)
