Updated November 10, 2026, 1:04 p.m. ET
As Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth faces an impeachment vote in Congress, we look back at his controversial plan to test US troops’ testosterone levels to “optimize performance” on the battlefield.
In July, a statement released by the War Department, officially the Department of Defense, and a video from Hegseth said it would be up to the military to choose whether or not they received “testosterone replacement therapy.” He did not mention the women’s troops.
While some commentators celebrated the news and many questioned the change in gender-affirming care, others raised a concern: Increased testosterone levels could impact men’s sexual desires and even lead to sexual violence, a long-reported problem in the military. Experts have said these concerns are largely unfounded, but the conversation highlights a bigger problem than testosterone deficiency — an obsession and major misunderstanding about masculinity.
Misconceptions about testosterone
Testosterone, which is a hormone produced in both men and women, plays an important role in maintaining muscle mass, bone density, red blood cell production, energy levels, mood and sexual function.
Although mainstreaming testosterone into health discussions helps eliminate the stigma attached to the symptoms many experience, Dr. Arthur Burnett, a professor of urology and oncology at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, previously told USA TODAY that he was concerned “that a program like this could unintentionally reinforce misconceptions about testosterone.”
When it comes to treatment, it should be aimed at restoring a true deficiency to normal, not “enhancing performance or redefining masculinity,” Burnett added.
“For men with clinically confirmed testosterone deficiency, testosterone replacement therapy can help restore normal libido, improve erectile function, increase energy, and improve overall well-being,” Burnett explained. “The goal is to normalize sexual desire in men who have true testosterone deficiency – not to create excessive sexual interest, aggressive behavior or supernormal performance.”
Additionally, taking testosterone without needing it can be harmful.
“If someone has normal testosterone production and is given exogenous (or external) testosterone, we can shut down normal endogenous (or internal) testosterone production, meaning the patient becomes ‘addicted’ to external testosterone. This can cause infertility in men,” said Dr. Rocio Salas-Whalen, an endocrinologist and obesity specialist.
In his video, Hegseth said the initiative was not about “artificial enhancement” but rather “restoring and optimizing your natural abilities, protecting your longevity, and ensuring you have the biological foundation necessary to sustain the fight.”
However, testosterone naturally declines over time. “It’s part of normal biology: Not all lower values necessarily represent a medical deficiency,” Burnett added, emphasizing that a lab test showing low testosterone is usually not enough to warrant treatment.
Instead, testosterone deficiency must be diagnosed through both appropriate laboratory testing and symptom assessment. Other potential causes of symptoms, such as thyroid disease, sleep apnea, obesity, medication effects or depression, should also be considered and treated, he said.
The false promise of masculinity
Although testosterone deficiency is a real problem for some, Hegseth’s testosterone program may be focused more on the idea of masculinity rather than actually meeting a medical need, suggested Ronald Levant, professor emeritus of psychology at the University of Akron and co-author of “The Trouble with Men: Insights into Overcoming a Traumatic Childhood from a World-Renowned Psychologist.” »
“Masculinity is essentially a set of social norms that change from generation to generation…any connection to biology is tenuous at best,” Levant said.
The idea that being more macho will solve young men’s problems is an underlying message of the manosphere, which emphasizes hypermasculinity, Levant explained. The extreme fringes of the manosphere also welcomed the violent attacks against women. Another subgroup of this group is “Looksmaxxers,” some of whom turn to surgeries and supplements in an effort to achieve financial, romantic, and overall happiness.
“They take testosterone and all sorts of other harmful compounds in the hopes that it will make them more attractive,” he said, adding that they don’t tend to consider nuance or evidence-based science. “You are either “high T” (testosterone) or “low T”; You’re either alpha or beta.”
That’s a false promise, Levant said, explaining that it’s often men’s emotional issues — not physical ones — that get in the way of their relationships.
“Greater emotional awareness and emotional intelligence in young men would make a huge difference,” he said.
Gn Health
