Kegseth is hyper fixated on the the male physique and the idea of a white male hyper agressive toxic masculinity that he thinks the Russian military has.   But while our inclusive military is considered one of the best Russia’s hyper all white military is getting its ass handed to it by the inclusive diverse Ukrainian military.  I posted earlier that Kegseth has again blocked the promotion of well qualified female and black officers to two star rank in his goal of an all white male military.  This guy won’t be in charge of the military in two more years if the people are allowed to to have a free election and his successor hopefully won’t be such a misogynist bigot.   But the damage will be done and the careers of these officers damaged.  Kegseth couldn’t take serving a full career of at least 20 years, but these people who he is denying promotion to have well more than 20 years in the military.  How come testosterone for trans kids / people is somehow in Kegseth’s view bad and trans people taking hormones are unfit for military service, yet having straight white men all on testosterone some how makes the military better?  Hugs

https://www.notus.org/defense/testosterone-troops-hegseth-testing

Service members 30 and over will test annually and can choose to receive testosterone replacement therapy if they are recommended for treatment.

“We owe our warriors the absolute best medical care in the world, and this program delivers on that obligation,” Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said. Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP Photo

By Angie Orellana Hernandez and Hamed Ahmadi

July 15, 2026 01:26 p.m.

Updated: July 15, 2026 06:57 p.m.

The Pentagon will begin annually testing service members 30 and over for testosterone deficiencies, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced Tuesday.

Hegseth said in a video posted to social media that the new screening would become part of the Defense Department’s periodic health assessment for military personnel. The health exam has been mandatory since 2016 and is used to measure medical condition, behavioral health, mental health and readiness to deploy.

Service members who are recommended for treatment will have the choice to receive testosterone replacement therapy, Hegseth said. Personnel under 30 can volunteer for an examination.

Hegseth’s post referred to “High-T,” a social media fad pushed by influencers that encourages men to seek higher levels of testosterone to maintain their strength and masculinity. Discussions around masculinity have seeped into culture wars and national politics. In May, James Talarico, the Democratic nominee for Senate in Texas, defended his masculinity after personal attacks from conservatives about his physical appearance.

“This initiative — it’s not about artificial enhancement; it’s about restoring and optimizing your natural capabilities, protecting your longevity, and ensuring you have the biological foundation required to sustain the fight,” Hegseth said in the video. “We owe our warriors the absolute best medical care in the world, and this program delivers on that obligation.”

Testosterone levels in males decline about 1% a year after the age of 30 or 40, according to the Mayo Clinic. It is considered a typical sign of aging.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration does not approve testosterone replacement therapy for males without specific forms of hypogonadism, a medical condition associated with a malfunction of the organs that produce testosterone. Testosterone replacement therapy consists of injections, pellets, patches or gels that release hormones into the body.

Some medical groups, such as the Endocrine Society and the American Urological Association “recommend against routine screening” for hypogonadism in the general male population, according to Helen Bernie, a urologist and director of male sexual and reproductive medicine at Indiana University.

Bernie said testing could still be valuable in some military populations with symptoms or certain risk factors, but warned that a single low testosterone result should not lead directly to a diagnosis or treatment. Instead, testosterone levels should be measured twice in the early morning and considered alongside symptoms and possible underlying causes.

“Screening should open the door to a thoughtful medical evaluation, not automatically to a prescription,” Bernie told NOTUS.

Sleep deprivation, intense physical training, weight changes, illness and certain medications can temporarily lower testosterone, Bernie said. Doctors should evaluate those factors before determining that a service member has a testosterone deficiency.

Bernie said testosterone therapy is generally safe for appropriately selected and monitored patients, but it can “impair their sperm production or impair their fertility,” especially in young men.

She said service members should be counseled about fertility and other risks before beginning therapy and monitored throughout treatment.

“If the Pentagon moves forward with a screening program, I do think it’s important that there’s clear evidence-based guidelines in place so that every service member is evaluated consistently and safely.”

“The goal should be appropriate diagnosis, appropriate treatment, not simply increasing the number of men receiving testosterone,” she said.

The Defense Department declined to comment further on Hegseth’s video. It did not answer questions regarding the FDA’s guidance on testosterone replacement therapy.

The FDAdid not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Authors

Angie Orellana Hernandezis a reporter at NOTUS.Hamed Ahmadiis a NOTUS reporter and an Allbritton Journalism Institute fellow.

Doctors Roast Hegseth’s New Testosterone Policy