{"id":3502,"date":"2026-07-15T19:13:19","date_gmt":"2026-07-15T19:13:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/crosscountrymovingteams.com\/?p=3502"},"modified":"2026-07-15T19:13:19","modified_gmt":"2026-07-15T19:13:19","slug":"pete-hegseth-wants-to-test-troops-for-testosterone-deficiency-literally","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/crosscountrymovingteams.com\/?p=3502","title":{"rendered":"Pete Hegseth wants to test troops for \u2018testosterone deficiency\u2019 \u2014\u00a0literally"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The new screenings will be conducted annually as part of service members\u2019 required medical screenings for those 30 and older, he said. Troops under 30 can volunteer to be tested. In a video released on social media, Hegseth simply refers to troops, though it appears he is referring only to testing men in uniform for hormone irregularities.<\/p>\n

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The move comes as other Trump administration officials have begun to advocate for men to have easier access to testosterone replacement therapies, but the messaging from Hegseth and others blends known science on the hormone with broader, and less substantiated, claims.<\/p>\n

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When asked about what conditions Hegseth was looking to address with the new policy, the Pentagon referred to Hegseth\u2019s remarks in the video that talked about keeping troops \u201cstrong, resilient and capable\u201d and that the rigors of the modern battlefield demand \u201cmaximum psychological and mental readiness.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Pentagon would not offer specific conditions or diseases that were being targeted by the policy. In his video, Hegseth said receiving testosterone replacement therapy will be voluntary.<\/p>\n

Over the past several years, special operations troops \u2014 and specifically Navy SEALs \u2014 have come under scrutiny for their use of testosterone and similar substances to enhance performance.<\/p>\n

The death of a SEAL recruit\u00a0during training in 2022 led to a discovery of substances in his possession, including testosterone, and revealed far more rampant drug use among the elite program than was previously acknowledged.<\/p>\n

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A year after the recruit\u2019s death, the Navy said it would\u00a0begin a drug-testing program\u00a0to screen for \u201cany hormonal substance, chemically or pharmacologically related to testosterone, that promotes muscle growth.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hegseth said his new initiative is \u201cnot about artificial enhancement.\u201d<\/p>\n

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The Pentagon did not respond to questions about what research or academic studies underpinned the move. It also didn\u2019t say if female troops would be able to be screened for lowering estrogen as they entered perimenopause.<\/p>\n

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Testosterone levels in men decline naturally with age and have long been linked to issues like erectile dysfunction, low libido, mood changes and weight gain. But experts have debated for years how to diagnose those problems and whether they should be treated by replacing the hormone.<\/p>\n

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Hegseth\u2019s announcement comes as Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and other Trump administration officials are moving to make it easier for doctors to prescribe testosterone. Last month, the Food and Drug Administration proposed easing prescribing limits on testosterone gels, pills, patches and injections.<\/p>\n

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The current FDA label specifies that the medications are only for men with hypogonadism, a medical condition that causes drastically low testosterone.<\/p>\n

But many influencers and proponents of Kennedy\u2019s \u201cMake America Healthy Again\u201d movement tout testosterone as a way to look younger, build muscle and stay mentally sharp \u2014 although those uses aren\u2019t accepted by most medical experts.<\/p>\n

Still, recent studies have bolstered the case for testosterone\u2019s benefits, for certain conditions, while allaying worries about its safety \u2014 particularly concerns about heart safety.<\/p>\n

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Last year, the FDA removed a boxed warning about possible risks of heart attack and stroke from the drugs.<\/p>\n

Separately, a series of studies by the National Institutes of Health in older men found that taking testosterone improved erectile dysfunction, libido and other sexual measures and had a small effect on mood. But there was little or no improvement in other measures like fatigue, memory or overall well-being.<\/p>\n

Other studies have shown potential improvements in muscle-building, strength and bone density.<\/p>\n

However, current medical guidelines generally recommend against blanket testing of testosterone levels. Typically, doctors are advised to discuss testosterone therapy with men who have troubling symptoms and documented low levels of the hormone on two separate blood tests.<\/p>\n

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Testing for testosterone is challenging because levels of the hormone fluctuate throughout the day. Accurate testosterone readings are typically measured in the morning after fasting.<\/p>\n

Read more Palestinian activist cites the Ku Klux Klan Act in suit accusing pro-Israel groups of conspiracy against student activists<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Hegseth mandates annual hormone screening for men 30+ in uniform, but won’t say what disease it’s meant to catch.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3501,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[112],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3502","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-military"],"yoast_head":"\nPete Hegseth wants to test troops for \u2018testosterone deficiency\u2019 \u2014\u00a0literally - Cross Country Moving Team<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/crosscountrymovingteams.com\/?p=3502\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Pete Hegseth wants to test troops for \u2018testosterone deficiency\u2019 \u2014\u00a0literally - 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