Home > National > Social Affairs

HGH prescriptions up dramatically, as are misuse, side effects

Published: 02 Oct. 2025, 18:58

Syringe [JOONGANG ILBO]

Prescriptions for the so-called “make you taller” human growth hormone (HGH) injections, commonly referred to as “height growth shots,” reached an all-time high in 2024, while reports of serious side effects surged 18-fold over four years, prompting calls for stricter government oversight.

Liberal Democratic Party (DP) Rep. Nam In-soon, a member of the National Assembly’s Health and Welfare Committee, said the number of HGH prescriptions rose to 1.62 million in 2024 — up 81.1 percent from 895,011 cases in 2020, citing data submitted by the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service.

In terms of cost, prescriptions more than doubled from 59.7 billion won ($42.6 million) in 2020 to 159.3 billion won in 2024 — a 166.8 percent increase. This marks the first time the annual prescription value has exceeded 150 billion won.

Adverse reactions have also grown more common. Side effects from HGH injections include headaches, joint pain, rashes, vomiting and scoliosis. According to data from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, 1,809 side effect cases were reported in 2024, a 2.7-fold increase from 660 cases in 2020.

Among these, 165 were classified as serious cases, including pneumonia, mycoplasma pneumonia, appendicitis and high fever. That figure is up sharply from just nine serious cases reported in 2020.

As prescriptions increase, so too do illegal online advertisements for the unregulated sale and distribution of HGH products. According to ministry data, only two such ads were reported in 2021, but the number jumped to 111 as of August 2025.

“Growth hormone injections are intended for patients with secretion disorders or conditions such as Turner syndrome, but they are increasingly misused under the nickname ‘height growth shots,’” Nam said. “With serious side effects and illegal advertisements on the rise, the Ministry of Health and Welfare and the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety must strengthen their oversight and establish systematic countermeasures.”

BY NAM SOO-HYUN [[email protected]]