Hegseth Orders Testosterone Screening for US Troops
WASHINGTON — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced Wednesday a new policy to screen U.S. military service members for testosterone deficiency, mandating annual testing for troops aged 30 and older while allowing younger personnel to volunteer. The policy, which also offers voluntary testosterone replacement therapy, has ignited a fierce debate over military readiness, medical privacy, and the politicization of hormone treatment.
In a social media video announcing the initiative, Hegseth described the screenings as necessary to keep troops “strong, resilient and capable,” arguing that the rigors of the modern battlefield demand “maximum psychological and mental readiness.” He emphasized that the program is “not about artificial enhancement.”
Policy Details and Scope
According to AP News, the screenings will be conducted annually as part of service members’ required medical examinations. While Hegseth’s video referred broadly to “troops,” reporting indicates the policy appears focused on testing men for hormone irregularities. The Pentagon did not clarify whether female troops would be evaluated for estrogen-based therapy as they enter perimenopause.
The Pentagon declined to respond to questions about what research or academic studies underpin the policy, and did not specify projected costs or implementation timelines for deployed troops.
Broader Administration Push for Easier Testosterone Access
The announcement comes amid a broader Trump administration effort to make testosterone drugs more accessible. Last month, the Food and Drug Administration proposed easing prescribing limits on testosterone gels, pills, patches, and injections. Last year, the FDA removed a boxed warning about possible heart attack and stroke risks from testosterone medications, following an FDA-mandated study of 5,000 men that found no increased cardiovascular risk.
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has championed these changes as part of his “Make America Healthy Again” movement, which promotes testosterone as a way to build muscle, maintain mental sharpness, and combat aging — uses not accepted by most medical experts. As AP News reports, the administration’s push aligns with the advice of online influencers and podcasters who tout testosterone as a panacea for men’s health issues.
Medical Community Expresses Caution
Current medical guidelines from the Endocrine Society generally recommend against blanket population screening for testosterone deficiency. Instead, doctors are advised to discuss testosterone therapy with men who have troubling symptoms and documented low levels on two separate blood tests. Testing is challenging because testosterone levels fluctuate throughout the day, with accurate readings typically requiring morning measurements after fasting.
Dr. Shalender Bhasin of Harvard Medical School, who co-authored recent testosterone studies and Endocrine Society guidelines, noted that symptoms of low testosterone “overlap with symptoms of human aging in men, so there’s a high risk of misdiagnosis and that’s led to the controversy.” While Bhasin welcomed the FDA’s label changes, he cautioned that “there’s a lot more to be done to better define the safety and efficacy” of long-term testosterone use.
Dr. Justin Dubin, a urologist at Baptist Health Miami Cancer Institute, acknowledged that many providers have been overly cautious: “Many providers have been trained for years that these were real issues, and they were scared to get a testosterone reading from a patient or offer them testosterone therapy.”
Political Backlash and Accusations of Hypocrisy
The policy has drawn sharp criticism from Democratic lawmakers with military backgrounds. Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), an Iraq War veteran and member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said the announcement sounded “like gender-affirming care to me,” referencing Hegseth’s stance against transgender troops. Hegseth has previously ordered the removal of transgender service members from the military.
Rep. Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA), an Air Force veteran, said the policy “proves that Secretary Hegseth takes direction from the far corners of the manosphere.” Both lawmakers called for extending hormone testing to all service members, including women. Duckworth proposed screening for fertility issues, noting that military personnel “disproportionately face higher rates of infertility than the general population.”
History of Testosterone Use in Special Operations
The policy arrives against the backdrop of a troubled history with performance-enhancing drugs in elite military units. The death of Navy SEAL recruit Kyle Mullen in February 2022 during “Hell Week” training revealed widespread use of testosterone and other substances among candidates. Investigators found testosterone and human growth hormone in Mullen’s car.
In response, the Navy announced in September 2023 that it would begin forcewide urinalysis for performance-enhancing drugs across the Naval Special Warfare community, as Military.com reported. Rear Adm. Keith Davids stated the move was to “ensure every NSW teammate operates at their innate best.”
Pattern of Medical Policy Changes
The testosterone screening initiative is the latest in a series of controversial medical policy changes under Hegseth. In April 2026, he repealed the military’s long-standing flu vaccine mandate, citing “medical autonomy” and religious freedom. In June 2026, a flu outbreak at a U.S. Air Force boot camp sickened nearly 300 people.
What’s Next
The policy is likely to face legal challenges and congressional scrutiny. Questions remain about how it will interact with existing prohibitions on performance-enhancing drugs, the potential fertility implications for younger troops who opt into testosterone therapy, and what safeguards exist to prevent overprescribing within the military healthcare system. The Pentagon has not specified a timeline for implementation.