Pentagon to Begin Testing Testosterone Levels of U.S. Troops, Hegseth Announces
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced the Pentagon will begin testing the testosterone levels of all service members aged 30 and older as part of their annual health assessments — and is framing it as a performance optimization measure for combat readiness.
Troops younger than 30 will have the option to be tested voluntarily. Hegseth said service members who test low will have the choice to pursue testosterone replacement therapy, though he didn't specify whether the Pentagon would cover the cost.
"It's well-established that, as we age, testosterone levels naturally drop," Hegseth said in a video announcing the program. "This initiative — it's not about artificial enhancement. It's about restoring and optimizing your natural abilities, protecting your longevity and ensuring you have the biological foundation required to sustain the fight."
Hegseth did not mention female service members in his announcement.
What Testosterone Actually Does — and Why It Declines
Testosterone is produced primarily in the testicles and plays a significant role in maintaining muscle mass and strength, bone density, fat distribution, red blood cell production, and sperm production. Levels generally peak during adolescence and early adulthood, then decline at roughly 1% per year after age 30 or 40 — a gradual process that's a normal part of male aging.
Women and gender-nonconforming people also produce testosterone and can experience health effects from abnormally high or low levels, though they were notably absent from Hegseth's framing of the initiative.
Low testosterone — clinically called hypogonadism — can be diagnosed through a blood test. When levels fall below a clinically significant threshold, doctors may recommend testosterone replacement therapy through injections, pills, patches, or topical gels. The treatment is well-established for men with diagnosed hypogonadism, but its use in men with age-related decline who don't have a clinical deficiency is more contested in the medical community.
The Context Behind the Announcement
Hegseth has made "warrior ethos" and what he describes as masculine identity central themes of his tenure as Defense Secretary — a posture that fits squarely within the broader cultural messaging his tenure has emphasized. Mandatory testosterone testing for male troops aligns with that framing, positioning it as a readiness and performance issue rather than a medical one.
The announcement also comes after Hegseth ended mandatory annual flu vaccine requirements for military personnel in April — a decision that was followed weeks later by a flu outbreak among Air Force recruits at Lackland Air Force Base that hospitalized two people and sickened more than 150. That episode drew criticism from public health experts who noted that the dense, close-quarters environment of military basic training is precisely where vaccination requirements exist to prevent exactly those kinds of outbreaks.
The testosterone program moves in the opposite philosophical direction — adding a new medical screening rather than removing one — but both decisions reflect a Pentagon leadership style that frames military health decisions heavily through a lens of masculinity, performance, and what Hegseth calls warrior culture.
What the Medical Community Actually Says
Testosterone replacement therapy for men with clinically diagnosed low testosterone is a legitimate and widely used medical treatment. The debate in medical circles isn't really about whether TRT works for hypogonadism — it does — but about two related questions.
First, where the treatment threshold should be set. Testosterone levels vary significantly between individuals, and what's low for one person may be normal for another. A large-scale mandatory screening program applied to all troops over 30 will inevitably identify men whose levels fall in a gray zone where the clinical benefit of treatment is unclear.
Second, the risks of TRT in otherwise healthy men. Testosterone replacement in men who don't have a clinical deficiency has been associated with increased risk of blood clots, cardiovascular events, and — particularly relevant for a military concerned with readiness — suppression of natural sperm production and potential infertility. A 2025 study that received significant coverage specifically examined whether testosterone supplements reduce sperm count, finding meaningful concerns particularly for younger men.
Whether the Pentagon's medical professionals will apply rigorous clinical standards to who actually receives treatment — versus screening becoming a gateway to widespread TRT that carries its own risks — is a question the announcement leaves open.
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