On July 15, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced a new policy of testing testosterone levels on military service members of the age of thirty or older. The test is to be integrated into the regular annual health assessment, and will be optional for those under thirty.
Men’s testosterone levels decrease in their thirties and forties, but naturally so. In his social media video announcing the policy, Hegseth was generous in his praise of testosterone.
“This initiative — it’s not about artificial enhancement; it’s about restoring and optimizing your natural capabilities, protecting your longevity, and ensuring you have the biological foundation required to sustain the fight,” Hegseth said.
NBC
Medical experts have warned about this new policy, noting that testosterone is not the panacea Hegseth and other Trump administration officials, such as Robert F. Kennedy (RFK) Jr., claim it to be. Dr. Céline Gounder stated that testosterone does not “sharpen thinking, fix fatigue, or make a healthy 30-year-old a better soldier.” The Endocrine Society and the American College of Physicians argued that the screenings are pointless, because testosterone levels are also influenced by lifestyle and even the time of day.
Furthermore, Dr. Marcus Gancalves, director of the Holman Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism at New York University (NYU) Langone Health, found that testosterone levels can rebound naturally if lifestyle improves, no testosterone therapy needed. Testosterone therapy, championed by Trump administration officials and online celebrities, who do not have medical expertise, introduces the risk of blood clots caused by a potentially excessive increase in red blood cell count.
The testosterone screenings will cost tens of millions per year, as repeated tests and monitoring are needed. This policy is being introduced despite previous denunciations of waste, fraud, and abuse by the Trump administration.
