A federal judge has ordered the Trump administration to explain the discrepancy between a new policy offering testosterone therapy to older male troops and the ban on hormone treatment for transgender service members.
Policy Announcement
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced earlier this month that male service members aged 30 and over would be checked to ensure they have the “right testosterone levels” to perform optimally in the military. “By addressing these health markers early, we’re keeping you on the leading edge of lethality,” Hegseth said in a video posted on X, using language now standard in the Pentagon, which Donald Trump has labeled the Department of War.
Under the policy, service members found to have lower than normal testosterone levels can volunteer for testosterone replacement therapy (TRT).
Court Scrutiny
On Wednesday, Judge Ana Reyes of the District of Columbia district court questioned the inconsistency in promoting TRT for cisgender soldiers while arguing that hormone treatment is disqualifying for transgender troops. In her order, she cited Trump’s executive order justifying a ban on transgender troops, which states that “the Armed Forces must adhere to high mental and physical health standards… without the benefit of routine medical treatment or special provisions.”
Reyes requested information on the Pentagon’s “basis for treating trans men and other service members differently between this new policy and the Military Ban.” The Pentagon must address this and other questions about the cost and administration of TRT before the next hearing on 7 August.
Medical Concerns
Medical experts have also criticized the mandate, warning that unnecessary or inappropriately prescribed TRT could have harmful consequences, including increased risk to fertility and other long-term health problems. Doctors told Reuters they were puzzled by the testosterone order.
The Pentagon has balked at the cost of gender-related hormone treatment for trans troops amid dismissals, according to LGBTQ Nation.
