Story perspectives

Defense Secretary Orders Yearly Testosterone Screens; Lawmakers Demand Justification

7/21/2026

Summary

Hegseth Mandates Testosterone

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered mandatory annual testosterone screenings for service members aged 30 and older.
The screening is added to the periodic health assessment, while personnel under 30 may be screened voluntarily.
Senate Democrats have asked Hegseth for scientific justification, cost data, and a rollout plan by Aug. 15.
Experts say only about 2 percent of men have low testosterone and argue the age-30 screening lacks medical justification.

Summary

Trump Bans Gender

U.S. President Donald Trump issued a January 2025 executive order banning “radical gender ideology,” excluding gender-dysphoric individuals and tying testosterone policy to broader gender reforms.
A Boston survey of men 45-79 found testosterone levels for 60-year-olds fell between 1989 and 1995.
An FDA advisory panel met in December 2025 to review expanded testosterone treatments, reporting that a NEJM study found no vitality or performance benefit for men 65 and older.

History

Historical Context

In 2014 the FDA began reviewing testosterone-replacement products after reports of a 30% rise in deaths and heart attacks, requiring cardiovascular warnings in 2015. The 2023 TRAVERSE trial found no excess risk, prompting a 2025 label change that removed the black-box warning but added a blood-pressure alert. Against this backdrop, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s proposal for testosterone screening revives debate over costs and medical justification.

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Hegseth Mandates Testosterone

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered mandatory annual testosterone screenings for service members aged 30 and older.
The screening is added to the periodic health assessment, while personnel under 30 may be screened voluntarily.
Senate Democrats have asked Hegseth for scientific justification, cost data, and a rollout plan by Aug. 15.
Experts say only about 2 percent of men have low testosterone and argue the age-30 screening lacks medical justification.

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