Secretary of War Pete Hegseth has introduced a new program designed to improve male service members’ performance and long-term health.
“Today, I’m authorizing a new screening program for testosterone deficiency for our service members, ensuring you have the right testosterone levels to operate at your absolute best,” Hegseth said in a clip posted Wednesday to the social media platform X.
Hegseth then explained that he would make the screening program mandatory for service members age 30 or older.
“Because it’s well-established science that as we age, testosterone levels often naturally drop,” he added. “Under the supervision of our world-class medical professionals, war fighters age 30 and older are gonna be tested annually as part of their periodic health assessment. It’s a health assessment that happens every year; we’re just adding this test.”
Hegseth then offered the same testing to younger service members who may choose to receive it. For everyone tested, however, treatment remains optional.
“Those under 30 can voluntarily choose to get the test as well,” he continued. “If treatment is recommended, it’s entirely your choice to receive testosterone replacement therapy.”
Anticipating objections, the secretary then described the initiative as “not about artificial enhancement,” but rather “about restoring and optimizing your natural capabilities, protecting your longevity, and ensuring you have the biological foundation required to sustain the fight.”
Do you think this is a good idea?
“We owe our warriors the absolute best medical care in the world,” he added. “And this program delivers on that obligation.”
Indeed, Hegseth emphasized both readiness and personal health.
“Taking care of your long-term health means ensuring you remain strong, resilient, and capable, not just for your next deployment but for the rest of your life, so you can thrive long after you take off the uniform,” he continued.
Finally, Hegseth concluded by characterizing modern warfare as a “brutal and unrelenting” endeavor that “requires and demands maximum psychological and mental readiness.”
“And by addressing these health markers early,” he added, “we’re keeping you on the leading edge of lethality and giving you the same level of support that you give this nation, the absolute best.”
The High-T Department of War. pic.twitter.com/hlAUq3j2cD
— Secretary of War Pete Hegseth (@SecWar) July 15, 2026
Meanwhile, female Democrat legislators who served in the military complained about the initiative.
Democratic Sen. Tammy Duckworth of Illinois, for instance, mocked the announcement as “gender-affirming care,” per the Associated Press. Hegseth, of course, has opposed transgender troops.
In fact, leftists on X repeated the same line.
sounds kinda woke idk… pic.twitter.com/OWuqC5tuSE
— f.₳RT (@cNFTfART) July 15, 2026
Gender affirming care, I guess?
— David Pakman (@dpakman) July 15, 2026
I thought you were against gender-affirming care
— Brian Allen (@allenanalysis) July 15, 2026
Democratic Rep. Chrissy Houlahan of Pennsylvania accused Hegseth of taking “direction from the far corners of the manosphere.”
On a more serious note, Duckworth called for extending screenings to female service members as well.
“Let’s extend hormone screenings for all of our brave servicemembers to help us identify fertility issues early — since studies show that both women and men in our military disproportionately face higher rates of infertility than the general population,” the lawmaker said in a statement.
In November 2025, Houlahan joined five other Democrats in encouraging service members to disobey “illegal” orders from President Donald Trump.
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