Technology and Science25 July, 20262 min read
Judge Ana Reyes Orders Pentagon To Explain Pete Hegseth Testosterone Policy Discrepancy
This article is an automated aggregation of coverage from news outlets. Our editorials offer in-depth analysis curated by the NewsCord team.
Federal judge ordered Hegseth to explain discrepancy between testosterone policy and transgender care. Policy would screen 30+ male troops for low testosterone and provide treatment.
Judge demands answers
Federal judge Ana Reyes ordered the Trump administration to explain a discrepancy in Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s testosterone policy, which would screen older soldiers for testosterone deficiencies and offer testosterone replacement therapy (TRT). Reyes questioned how the Armed Forces can “adhere to high mental and physical health standards… without the benefit of routine medical treatment or special provisions” while promoting TRT for cisgender soldiers and arguing that hormone treatment is disqualifying for transgender troops.
The order required the Pentagon to address “the basis for treating trans men and other service members differently between this new policy and the Military Ban” before the next scheduled hearing in the case on 7 August. Hegseth’s plan, announced earlier this month, said male service members aged 30 and above would be checked to ensure they have the “right testosterone levels” to perform in the military at an optimal level, and that those found to have lower than normal levels can volunteer for TRT.
TRT vs transgender care
The AP reported that Reyes raised the question of differences between TRT for low testosterone and hormone treatment for transgender men in the military, in an ongoing lawsuit against President Donald Trump’s ban on transgender troops. Reyes ordered both parties to address “the similarities and differences in administering TRT, both medically and logistically, for trans men compared to other service members, including cis individuals.”
In the same dispute, the Guardian said medical experts were “puzzled by the testosterone order” and warned that unnecessary or inappropriately prescribed TRT might have harmful consequences contrary to maintaining battle readiness. The Guardian also quoted the doctors’ concerns that treatment could increase the risk to service members’ fertility or lead to other long-term health problems, while noting that the Pentagon balked at the cost of gender-related hormone treatment for trans troops.
Policy rollout and stakes
AP said Hegseth’s initiative would conduct screenings annually as part of required medical screenings for those 30 and older, while troops under 30 can volunteer to be tested. AP further reported that in a video on social media, Hegseth said receiving testosterone replacement therapy would be voluntary, even as the messaging from Hegseth and other officials blended known science with “broader, and less substantiated, claims.”
The Guardian described Hegseth’s announcement as advancing what he called “the High-T department of war,” and said he framed the policy as keeping troops on the “leading edge of lethality.” The lawsuit context is central to what comes next, with AP reporting that Reyes is overseeing one of the lawsuits and that the case has been given class-action status, meaning the outcome could expand to all service members while Trump’s transgender military ban remains in effect.