Testosterone won't cure what ails the US military | Dallas Morning News

In a video posted on X this month captioned "The High-T Department of War," Hegseth said service members ages 30 and older would have their testosterone levels tested annually, and those with low levels would have the option to receive hormone replacement therapy.

Hegseth's answer to the very real problems facing the military is a good dose of macho pseudoscience: more testosterone. ...

Testosterone is a hormone that is naturally produced by the body, in both men and women. It is best known for its role in male puberty, but it also plays a role in other processes in the body. Testosterone levels tend to decline by about 1% each year as people age.

Men with low testosterone might be diagnosed with hypogonadism, or low T, a legitimate medical condition that can warrant treatment with a simple prescription of testosterone injections or gel. But a gradual drop in testosterone as men get older is not by itself a crisis.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s Department of Health and Human Services and the Food and Drug Administration have recently requested updates to testosterone product labels that could expand access to this type of therapy. Kennedy's own anti-aging regimen includes testosterone, and while he may still be able to crank out a set of pull-ups, personal vanity projects are not a sound basis for public health policy.

The idea that America can inject its way back to military dominance with branding is a fad. Testosterone is not inherently linked to an increase in strength or capability. It's a hormone, not a substitute for military readiness.

Doctors are skeptical of making this type of treatment easier to access, and for good reason. In the early 2000s, there was a boom in testosterone therapy. But regulators realized that while prescriptions were soaring, the actual rate of hypogonadism was not. Plenty of men were being sold "Low T" as a lifestyle problem when they didn't have a real medical deficiency.

This is coming from the same administration that has otherwise embraced deprescription, promoting efforts to wean patients off antidepressants and urging "natural" alternatives over pharmaceuticals. Apparently, the skepticism toward overmedication disappears when the prescription in question can be marketed as "masculine."

And while the Pentagon encourages hormone therapy in cases of low testosterone, hormones are the problem for transgender troops. Last year, the Trump administration defended its ban on transgender service members, writing that the Armed Forces must adhere to high physical standards "without the benefit of routine medical treatment or special provisions."

If the administration believes hormone therapy is acceptable for service members in some instances, it's difficult to argue that the hormone therapy used by some transgender people is incompatible with military service.

And if Hegseth really cared about fortifying the health of the U.S. military, there are other ways to do so that have actually proven to be effective.

Last month, a flu outbreak sickened nearly 160 troops at Lackland Air Force Base months after Hegseth lifted flu vaccine requirements for U.S. troops. The effectiveness of the flu vaccine depends on the specific strain circulating that year, but for the most part the vaccine can help stop the spread of the illness, especially in crowded environments like the military.

Before Hegseth starts recruiting troops to try testosterone, reinstating the flu vaccine is a better starting point.