&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "‘High-T Department of War’: Hegseth mandates testosterone screening for US troops")
US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth on Wednesday (Jul 16) announced that all US troops, including women, will now have to get a screening for “testosterone deficiency”. He said that the move was necessary to allow them to operate at their “absolute best”. The screening program will be conducted annually as part of the required medical screenings for service members aged 30 and older. Hegseth said soldiers with low testosterone can receive a hormone treatment voluntarily. He did not specify whether female troops will be included in the screening process.
“Our most decisive tactical advantage will always be the individual warfighter,” Hegseth said in a video message on X. “We have a sacred duty to maintain that advantage.”
Hegseth said that the goal behind the screening program was a “High-T Department of War” – his preferred name for the Department of Defence.
Under the program, troops under 30 can also volunteer to be screened. Anyone with low testosterone levels can opt to receive testosterone replacement therapy, or TRT.
“It’s about restoring and optimising your natural capability,” Hegseth said.
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Pentagon’s ‘double standards’
Hegseth’s latest announcement comes after US President Donald Trump last year banned transgender troops from serving in the US military. Pentagon had backed the ban, saying that transgender troops may not be able to access hormone therapy during wars. The policy is facing a legal challenge in federal courts.
“The Armed Forces must adhere to high mental and physical health standards to ensure our military can deploy, fight, and win, including in austere conditions and without the benefit of routine medical treatment or special provisions,” the Trump administration said at the time of announcing the transgender ban.
Shannon Minter, the legal director for the National Centre for LGBTQ Rights, questioned the “double standards” of the Trump administration over its contradictory reasoning.
“Hegseth’s recommendation that male service members take testosterone makes crystal clear that the policy banning transgender troops for taking the same medication is pure bias,” said Minter. “This is a blatant double standard and underscores the irrationality of the ban.”
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