More testosterone for our troops

When I read the article's title, “Pentagon announces testosterone screening for troops 30 and older,” I initially thought the testing would be for illicit steroid use. After all, what nation would want its troops struggling to think rationally and maintain control in high-stress situations due to “‘roid rage” —a side effect of steroid use characterized by increased aggression and hostility, mood swings, and impaired judgment?

Toying with the idea, it seems, is the United States. The country’s self-declared Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth, intends to screen male soldiers aged 30 and above for “acceptable” testosterone levels. If deemed too low, these troops can receive testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) so they can be “on the leading edge of lethality,” according to Hegseth.

Normal T-levels for adult men typically range from 300 to 1000 nanograms per deciliter of blood. That’s a huge range, and if I were a betting man, I’d wager that Hegseth will deem acceptable levels as “the higher, the better.”

Since the '90s, T-levels in men have been declining. Researchers have pointed to chemicals used in plastics, pesticides, and food packaging as prominent endocrine disruptors contributing to the decline, along with poor nutrition, sleep, and reduced physical activity.

Also concerning is that TRT is linked to a host of health issues. In an interview with NPR, Dr. Adriane Fugh-Berman of Georgetown University said, “The treatment can cause blood clots, heart problems, kidney problems, fractures, infertility and shrunken testicles…”. You don’t need to be a mental health expert to know how that will impact a man’s self-image.

Hypothetically speaking, if a soldier’s screening reveals a T-level of 295 and subsequent TRT brings it to 400, he won’t become an unhinged, gun-wielding maniac. However, Hegseth, known for his performative masculinity, may encourage, if not mandate, military physicians to administer the therapy until significantly higher levels of T are reached, health risks be damned.

What are your thoughts about the Pentagon’s plans? I hope my concerns will turn out to be unfounded and that troops' health, both in the short term and beyond, won’t be compromised. After all, when it comes to taking care of their own, the Veterans Administration has been far from honorable.

You can learn more about the Pentagon’s planned testosterone screening in this article from Task and Purpose.
https://taskandpurpose.com/news/military-testosterone-screening-2026/