The screenings will be conducted annually as part of service members' required medical screenings for those 30 and older, Hegseth said.
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced on Wednesday that he is introducing a new screening program for “testosterone deficiency” among soldiers, calling it necessary to allow them to operate at their "absolute best.”In a video posted to X, Hegseth simply refers to troops, though it appears he is talking about only testing men in uniform for hormone irregularities.“I’m authorising a new screening program for testosterone deficiency for our service members, ensuring you have the right testosterone levels to operate at your absolute best,” Hegseth said in the video.The screenings will be conducted annually as part of service members' required medical screenings for those 30 and older, Hegseth said. Troops under 30 can volunteer to be tested.Hegseth said treatment, including testosterone replacement therapy, is voluntary and aimed at “restoring and optimizing” natural capabilities.The move came as other Trump administration officials began to advocate for men to have easier access to testosterone replacement therapies, but the messaging from Hegseth and others blends known science on the hormone with broader, and less substantiated, claims, the Associated Press reported.Testosterone use in the military has previously come under scrutiny.When asked what conditions Hegseth was looking to address with the new policy, the Pentagon referred to Hegseth’s remarks in the video that mentioned keeping troops “strong, resilient and capable” and that the rigors of the modern battlefield demand “maximum psychological and mental readiness.”Hegseth also said that this program is part of the department’s commitment to providing “elite medical care” and maintaining the physical and mental readiness required for modern combat.Hegseth said his new initiative is "not about artificial enhancement.”Under scrutinyOver the past several years, special operations troops — and specifically Navy SEALs — have come under scrutiny for their use of testosterone and similar substances to enhance performance.The death of a SEAL recruit during training in 2022 led to a discovery of substances in his possession, including testosterone, and revealed far more rampant drug use among the elite program than was previously acknowledged.A year after the recruit's death, the Navy said it would begin a drug-testing program to screen for “any hormonal substance, chemically or pharmacologically related to testosterone, that promotes muscle growth,” the Associated Press reported.The Pentagon did not respond to questions about what research or academic studies underpinned the move. It also didn’t say if female troops would be able to be evaluated for estrogen-based therapy as they entered perimenopause.What do experts say?RFK Jr. has touted testosterone, but medical experts are waryTestosterone levels in men decline naturally with age and have long been linked to issues like erectile dysfunction, low libido, mood changes and weight gain.But experts have debated for years how to diagnose those problems and whether they should be treated by replacing the hormone.Hegseth’s announcement comes as Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and other Trump administration officials are moving to make it easier for doctors to prescribe testosterone.Last month, the Food and Drug Administration proposed easing prescribing limits on testosterone gels, pills, patches and injections.The current FDA label specifies that the medications are only for men with hypogonadism, a medical condition that causes drastically low testosterone.But many influencers and proponents of Kennedy’s “Make America Healthy Again” movement tout testosterone as a way to look younger, build muscle and stay mentally sharp — although those uses aren’t accepted by most medical experts.Still, recent studies have bolstered the case for testosterone’s benefits, for certain conditions, while allaying worries about its safety — particularly concerns about heart safety.Last year, the FDA removed a boxed warning about possible
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