The Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth, has announced that soldiers age 30 and older will be tested for testosterone deficiency as part of their annual medical check-up.
In a video posted on X, titled “High-T Department”, Hegseth said he was endorsing a military testing program to make sure “you have the right testosterone levels to perform at your best”.
Soldiers with low testosterone levels will be voluntarily given hormone replacement therapy. The test will be selected for those under 30 years of age.
Hegseth did not specify whether the test would work in women, whose testosterone levels also decline as they age.
“We owe our heroes the best medical care in the world, and this program fulfills that obligation,” Hegseth said in Wednesday’s video.
“Taking care of your long-term health means ensuring you stay strong, resilient and capable – not just for your next deployment, but for the rest of your life, so you can be successful long after you get out of uniform,” he added.
Taking testosterone for non-medical reasons, such as developing artificial muscles without a doctor’s prescription, is strictly prohibited in the military.
Hegseth said in the video that the new program is “not about artificial development”.
Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said in a statement that mandatory tests for testosterone deficiency will apply immediately to all active duty personnel and be reserved for personnel age 30 and older.
“This legislation will enable the Department to establish a comprehensive foundation and provide targeted testosterone therapy, to ensure that it maintains a healthy, capable, and powerful warfighter,” he said.
Asked if both male and female soldiers would be tested, and if female soldiers would be able to be tested for estrogen-based treatment as they enter menopause, the Pentagon said it had no comment to add to Hegseth’s and Parnell’s statements.
Democratic Senator Tammy Duckworth of Illinois, an Iraq war veteran and member of the armed services committee, called on the defense secretary to make hormone testing available to both men and women.
Congresswoman Chrissy Houlahan, a Pennsylvania Democrat and Air Force veteran, dismissed X as Hegseth’s “latest warmongering.”
Dr. Mohit Khera, who led the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) panel of experts last year on the testing and use of testosterone in the military, told the BBC on Wednesday that all men over the age of 30 should be tested because it is an important indicator of a person’s current and future health.
“The important thing here is that many young men have low testosterone levels, which puts them at a disadvantage in terms of body weight, strength, and that can be a problem when you fight,” said Khera, a professor of urology at Baylor College of Medicine.
But he added: “You have to be careful not to just give someone testosterone unless they have some symptoms.”
The benefits of hormone replacement therapy, he explained, include increased muscle mass, decreased fat, and reduced risk of depression. Over time, Khera added, it can also help with bone mineral density.
He cautioned, however, that it is not meant for everyone.
“If young men consume testosterone, that can make them infertile,” said Khera. “You have to be careful. If someone is of childbearing age, you need to make sure you understand that it will make you infertile.”
It may also result in increased cardiovascular risk, he noted.
Hegseth’s announcement comes after US Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr and other administration officials sought to remove barriers to medical professionals prescribing testosterone to men.
The health secretary has floated it as a solution to the national “fertility crisis”.
The FDA last month requested the removal of safety and efficacy language from testosterone replacement therapy product labeling, and proposed loosening restrictions on testosterone products.
