After tackling wokeness & beards, Hegseth to screen US military for testosterone levels

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Wednesday announced a new programme to screen all service members over the age of 30 for testosterone levels.

Hegseth said the programme would ensure that soldiers, whom he calls “warriors”, have the “biological foundation to sustain the fight”. He added that it would ensure soldiers have “the right testosterone levels to operate at your absolute best”.

Hegseth said soldiers found to be deficient in testosterone would have the option of undergoing testosterone replacement therapy (TRT). He did not specify what would happen to soldiers who chose not to undergo the treatment.

The programme is bound to put women personnel at a disadvantage as female bodies produce around 90 per cent less testosterone than male bodies. This means that even a perfectly healthy woman's testosterone level would be far lower than a man's. As Hegseth has consistently sought to reject the differences between men's and women's physiques, there are concerns that testosterone screening could be another step towards purging women personnel.

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Hegseth has fired scores of senior women and Black generals and blocked the promotions of several Black and women officers. As a result, he has been accused of trying to shape the military in the image of the Maga movement: white, Christian, and masculine. He has also fired scores of white generals as part of an effort to purge the US military of 'wokeness', prioritising political loyalty and ideological alignment over merit in military appointments.

Complexity of testosterone levels among service members

While low testosterone levels in men can cause health problems such as muscle loss, fatigue, obesity, and sexual dysfunction, the situation is complex because the nature of military service can also contribute to lower levels.

Stress, poor sleep, and head injuries, all of which are associated with military service, can contribute to lower testosterone levels. Over the years, it has been observed that soldiers who have served in special forces for extended periods are more likely to have lower testosterone levels and experience health problems arising from the condition.

As a result, the use of hormones, both with a prescription and without medical supervision, is on the rise. Experts have warned that using hormones to compensate for lower testosterone levels could have side-effects, including reduced fertility because of their effect on sperm production and an increased risk of blood clots.

There are also concerns that recording low testosterone levels during screening could result in a soldier's removal from special forces or elite units that they may have spent several years trying to join. Owing to of such stigma, many service members avoid screening for low testosterone or seek hormone therapy from direct-to-consumer or illicit sources, Dr Theodore Crisostomo-Wynne, a urologist at Madigan Army Medical Center, told an FDA panel in December, according to The New York Times.