US Secretary of Defense announces testosterone screening for troops, transgender service member ban debate re-ignites
Pete Hegseth has revealed mandatory annual testosterone screenings for troops older than 30 years of age.
The United States will soon be issuing mandatory testosterone screenings for any of its troops who are older than 30 years of age.
This initiative was revealed by Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, where he noted offering testosterone replacement therapy is part of an effort to ensure "you have the right testosterone levels to operate at your absolute best," as "it's well-established science that as we age, testosterone levels often naturally drop".
As per Reuters, if a service member is found to have low testosterone levels, they will be offered a recommended hormone replacement therapy, but this will be a voluntary affair, meaning a trooper doesn't need to accept the therapy. Likewise, while screenings will be mandatory for service members older than 30 years of age, those who are younger will be able to request a screening all the same.
This move has ignited a bit of conflict in Washington D.C. all the same, as Democratic representatives who previously fought against the ban on transgender service members are pointing to this move as being hypocritical, as previously Hegseth was against hormone therapy having a place in the military.
To this end, Congresswoman Summer Lee said "so now y'all support gender-affirming care?" Senator Tammy Duckworth added, "sounds like gender-affirming care to me."
