Hegseth Plans to Screen All Troops, Including Women, for Low Testosterone - The New York Times
Pete Hegseth, as defense secretary, has sought to cultivate an image as a manosphere-friendly leader. By Greg Jaffe and Azeen Ghorayshi Greg Jaffe covers the U.S. military, and Azeen Ghorayshi reports on science. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced on Wednesday a new mandatory screening program to test all service members age 30 and older, including women, for testosterone deficiency annually. Hormone treatment for troops with low testosterone will be voluntary. “Our most decisive tactical advantage will always be the individual warfighter,” Mr. Hegseth said in a video from his Pentagon office. “We have a sacred duty to maintain that advantage.” The goal, he said in a social media message accompanying the video, was a “High-T Department of War,” Mr. Hegseth’s preferred name for the Defense Department. Mr. Hegseth’s focus on testosterone levels at a moment when U.S. forces are ramping up attacks in Iran is unorthodox. Defense secretaries typically focus on larger strategic question