r/politics • u/mom0nga • Jul 15 '26

No Paywall Hegseth announces annual testosterone screenings for service members

https://thehill.com/policy/defense/5969935-hegseth-testosterone-testing-dod/
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u/Indubitalist Jul 15 '26 edited Jul 15 '26

As an Army vet, we definitely don’t need more testosterone in the ranks. Too much leads to poor judgment, interpersonal conflict and unnecessary injuries and deaths. I’d be surprised if the military wasn’t already running on the high side with natural testosterone. 

Make no mistake, this is a performance-enhancing drug program. It’s eerily reminiscent of the use of amphetamines by the Nazis. I wouldn’t bring this up except that there are so many Nazi parallels these days it’s almost like the worst decisions in history are being used as an instruction manual. 

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u/AllThatKat Jul 15 '26

Right. I’m a female navy veteran and I cannot imagine being stuck on a carrier with a bunch of roided out dudes. 

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u/judgejuddhirsch Jul 15 '26

If your test isn't high enough, prepare to get discharged

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u/LackingUtility Jul 15 '26

Yep, they're also going to try to push this as gender-neutral, same as they did for the ACFT. Men range from 170-1070 ng/DL of testosterone, while women range from 15-70. So they'll put in a threshold of like 250 or something and say regardless of gender, if you're below that, you're not "fit to serve" and get discharged.

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u/yakusokuN8 California Jul 15 '26

Followed by an insufferable wave of social media posts with absurd arguments denouncing women.

"Doctors, whether female or men need a license to practice medicine. Firemen, even the girls, need to demonstrate they can lift heavy equipment. This new regulation just ensures soldiers will follow orders and kill bad guys in combat because they have enough testosterone."