Hegseth orders testosterone testing for U.S. military members over 30
U.S. Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth has mandated annual testosterone testing for military personnel over 30, aiming to boost 'warrior culture.' The policy has drawn criticism from health experts citing potential cardiovascular and cancer risks associated with testosterone replacement therapy.
Why it matters
This policy shift represents a controversial intersection of military readiness, health policy, and the personal medical autonomy of service members.
U.S. Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth at the Pentagon on Tuesday. Pool/Getty Images
U.S. Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth has found a new tool in his quest to restore a “warrior culture” to the United States Armed Forces: testosterone, a potent hormone that the Pentagon will now distribute widely among its members.
The world’s most powerful military is now overseen by the “High-T Department of War,” Mr. Hegseth said Wednesday as he unveiled a policy that seems to follow a trend among men trying to recapture the vigour of their youth, despite decades of warnings that testosterone replacement therapy can harm the heart, promote cancer growth and boost aggression.
Mr. Hegseth has ordered annual testosterone testing for military members older than 30 and offered testosterone replacement therapy to anyone for whom it is medically recommended.
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