Updated

Updated · The New York Times · Jul 31

Hegseth Orders Testosterone Screening for Troops Over 30 as Experts Warn of Overtreatment Risks

Updated

Updated · The New York Times · Jul 31

Hegseth Orders Testosterone Screening for Troops Over 30 as Experts Warn of Overtreatment Risks

Q: Why is the military testing women for testosterone too, when it still has not explained what treatment they would receive?

Because the Pentagon appears to be applying a blanket “readiness” screening policy to all service members over 30, not because it has presented a clear, evidence-based treatment plan for women. Women do produce testosterone, and low levels can matter in some cases. In clinical practice, however, testosterone treatment for women is far more limited and individualized than it is for men. It is typically used only in very small doses, often for selected menopausal symptoms such as low sexual desire, and there is no standard military explanation yet for what would count as deficiency in women, what symptoms would justify treatment, or whether any therapy would involve testosterone, estrogen, or no treatment at all. That gap is why experts are questioning the policy. A testosterone blood test by itself does not establish a diagnosis, and in women the interpretation is even more complicated because normal ranges are lower, symptoms are less specific, and treatment is usually off-label and tailored case by case. Specialists say screening only makes sense when it is tied to a clear clinical pathway; otherwise it risks generating abnormal-looking results without a medically sound next step. So the short answer is that the military is testing women because the order is broadly written to include them, but it still has not shown how those results would be used. That lack of detail is a central reason the policy is drawing criticism from medical experts.

3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Jul 31

All U.S. service members over 30 will be screened for testosterone under a new Pentagon policy Pete Hegseth says will build a “High-T Department of War.”
Troops who qualify would be offered testosterone replacement therapy, which Hegseth says would keep “warfighters” on the “leading edge of lethality.”
Medical experts say TRT can help men with true testosterone deficiency, but no major medical groups recommend universal screening and some fear the policy could drive unnecessary treatment.
Research on testosterone’s behavioral effects remains mixed, yet clinicians and patients have reported increased irritability and aggression in some cases, raising concerns about risks inside the military and beyond.
The policy also applies to women, though the report said it remains unclear what treatment the military would offer them if screening finds low levels.