United States Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has announced a new screening programme for testosterone deficiency among service members aged 30 and older. In a video posted to X, he said the initiative would ensure troops have the 'right testosterone levels' to operate at their 'absolute best', describing the modern battlefield as 'brutal and unrelenting'.
Annual tests will be mandatory for those aged 30 and above, while younger personnel may opt in voluntarily. Hegseth said treatment, including testosterone replacement therapy, would be voluntary and aimed at 'restoring and optimising' natural capabilities. The programme is part of the department's commitment to providing 'elite medical care' and maintaining physical and mental readiness.
The move comes amid a broader political focus on testosterone levels among conservative figures in the US. Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr has spoken of using testosterone as part of his anti-ageing regimen, while media personalities such as Tucker Carlson have decried a supposed crisis of masculinity. Hegseth's announcement did not address the more than 231,000 women serving in the US military.
Medical experts have urged caution. The American Urological Association stated that the diagnosis of testosterone deficiency should not be based on a single blood test alone, but rather on symptoms and two separate tests. The association said a single test could serve as a 'baseline value' for further evaluation.
