Federal Judge Questions How the Pentagon’s New Testosterone Treatment Policy Differs From Transgender Ban

A federal judge is ordering the Trump administration to provide more information about the Pentagon’s newly announced testosterone replacement therapy program and how it might differ from administering the therapy for transgender troops.The request comes in connection with a lawsuit against President Trump’s 2025 ban on people who identify as transgender being allowed to serve in the military. A United States district judge, Ana Reyes, ruled last year against the ban, but an appeals court sent the case back to her and the Supreme Court has allowed the ban to stay in place as the case plays out.Judge Reyes, in a Tuesday order, cited part of the transgender ban that states that “the Armed Forces must adhere to high mental and physical health standards … without the benefit of routine medical treatment or special provisions.”Judge Reyes asked both sides in the case to explain the medical guidelines associated with routine screening for testosterone deficiency in the general population; medical guidelines for monitoring the administration of testosterone replacement therapy; the medical costs associated with screening for testosterone deficiency and providing therapy to service members who do not identify as trans; and the department’s basis for treating trans men and other service members differently under the new policy and the transgender ban.Judge Reyes set an August 7 deadline for the parties to submit briefs.The defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, last week announced that members of the military aged 30 and older will be tested for testosterone levels annually as part of their health assessment and that those under the age of 30 can take the test voluntarily. He did not explain how the policy would apply to women.“If treatment is recommended, it is entirely your choice to receive testosterone replacement therapy,” Mr. Hegseth said in an X video.Low testosterone is a known problem in the armed forces. A clinical psychologist named the condition “Operator Syndrome” and said it was a “natural consequence” of the physical and mental wear and tear members of the military face when they are exposed to long-term stress.A 2019 study found that military personnel can have 65 percent less testosterone than the average man and found that testosterone replacement therapy could be a “viable countermeasure” to effectively reverse the losses.Testosterone levels generally peak during adolescence and early adulthood and gradually decline as a person ages — typically about 1 percent a year after age 30 or 40.The Defense Department spent approximately $15 million between 2016 and 2021 to provide gender-affirming care to 1,892 active duty servicemembers, according to the Congressional Research Service. The Pentagon has not released expected costs for the wider testosterone tests and therapy program.

Federal Judge Questions How the Pentagon’s New Testosterone Treatment Policy Differs From Transgender Ban

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