US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has announced a new mandatory testosterone screening programme for military service members over 30, framing it as a way to optimise troops' performance, resilience and "lethality." The move, announced via a video posted on X under the banner "The High-T Department of War," reflects the growing influence of the manosphere and "Make America Healthy Again" (MAHA) movement's fixation on testosterone at the highest levels of the US government, worrying observers who see it as part of a broader wellness-industry trend rather than sound medical policy.

Under the scheme, service members over 30 will be screened annually, with voluntary testing available for those under 30; women will also be included, according to The New York Times. Those found deficient can opt into, but will not be required to accept, testosterone replacement therapy. The announcement taps into real biological trends, testosterone naturally declines roughly 1% a year after 30, and average levels have halved over the past 50 years, but critics note that clinical deficiency (below 300ng/dL) is being conflated with vaguer notions of "suboptimal" levels favoured by biohackers, contributing to a surge in TRT prescriptions from under a million in 2000 to 12 million by 2025.