{"id":942921,"date":"2026-07-18T08:03:20","date_gmt":"2026-07-18T08:03:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/942921\/"},"modified":"2026-07-18T08:03:20","modified_gmt":"2026-07-18T08:03:20","slug":"pete-hegseth-wants-the-us-military-tested-for-low-testosterone-levels-is-that-a-good-idea","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/942921\/","title":{"rendered":"Pete Hegseth wants the US military tested for low testosterone levels. Is that a good idea?"},"content":{"rendered":"

This story appeared in Today, Explained, a daily newsletter that helps you understand the most compelling news and stories of the day. Subscribe here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced this week that the Pentagon would begin testing the testosterone levels of all military members over the age of 30 as part of their regular, annual physical exams. And \u2014 if their levels are low \u2014 service members could choose to receive testosterone replacement therapy.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not about artificial enhancement,\u201d Hegseth said<\/a>. \u201cIt\u2019s about restoring and optimizing your natural capabilities, protecting your longevity, and ensuring you have the biological foundation required to sustain the fight.\u201d<\/p>\n

It\u2019s another example of the performative masculinity that has defined Hegseth\u2019s time atop the US military. He has sought to rebrand the Department of Defense<\/a> as the Department of \u201cWar,\u201d preached<\/a> a \u201cwarrior\u201d ethos, rolled back DEI initiatives while blocking promotions<\/a> for women, and taken an unusual interest<\/a> in the beard-grooming standards of service members.<\/p>\n

The testosterone obsession is just one of several ways that the military is having a Make America Healthy Again movement. Hegseth announced over the spring that service members would no longer be required to get an annual flu vaccine. (The military later reinstated<\/a> the mandate for new recruits, after a major flu outbreak at a boot camp.) And also this week, he launched<\/a> a new investigation into the Defense Department\u2019s decision in 2021 to mandate the Covid-19 vaccine \u2014 shades of the efforts being made by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. at the US Department of Health and Human Services.<\/p>\n

The \u201cT\u201d trend is not just a fixation of Kennedy\u2019s, who has said that he takes testosterone supplements, and Hegseth. More Americans of every age group<\/a> are taking testosterone. By one count,<\/a> prescriptions grew from 7.3 million in 2019 to more than 11 million in 2024.<\/p>\n

So, is getting more people to take supplemental testosterone actually a good idea? Should everybody be screened, as Hegseth is suggesting for service members over 30?<\/p>\n

The Endocrine Society said<\/a> in a statement after Hegseth\u2019s announcement that there was \u201cinsufficient evidence\u201d to support testosterone-level screening for asymptomatic Americans. Previous research suggests<\/a> that, if anything, testosterone is already overprescribed in the US; only 12 percent of men receiving a prescription had received appropriate diagnostic testing.<\/p>\n

Testosterone levels indeed fall as men age, and there has been a general decline in testosterone among men today compared to men of the past. But what\u2019s not clear<\/a> is whether widespread testosterone testing and supplementation is the solution.<\/p>\n

For one, distinguishing between a natural decline in testosterone and a decline that warrants clinical intervention is the subject of ongoing debate among doctors. Low T can also be a sign of other chronic health conditions that it would be better to treat. If your T is dropping because of obesity, for example, it would be better to lose weight (or take a GLP-1 drug instead of a testosterone supplement). The evidence is mixed on how much taking T actually improves things like mood, energy, sexual performance \u2014 or military effectiveness \u2014 and taking too much testosterone could come with its own health risks.<\/p>\n

The dialogue around T supplements is still evolving. Doctors used to worry that extra testosterone could cause cardiovascular problems, but more recent research has allayed those fears, leading proponents in the Trump administration to call for more prescribing<\/a>. But the evidence right now does not appear to support the widespread T testing and supplementation that the military\u2019s new program would suggest.<\/p>\n

How to keep your cool on a bad day<\/strong>: As a parent of three children, I\u2019m always on the lookout for better ways to manage my stress \u2014 and took heart in the four strategies suggested by Vox\u2019s Allie Volpe in her piece<\/a> this week. If we can take the time to acknowledge how we\u2019re feeling and really reflect on what has led us to feel that way, we might be able to avoid a full-blown meltdown. That\u2019s news you can really use.<\/p>\n