The Pentagon Said Transgender Hormone Care Costs Too Much. Now Pete Hegseth Wants Testosterone Boosts

This story originally appeared on The Advocate.The Pentagon is preparing to test service members for low testosterone and offer replacement therapy when military doctors recommend it, expanding access to the same class of hormone treatment the Trump administration has cited as an unnecessary expense when provided to transgender troops.Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced the initiative Wednesday in a video titled “The High-T Department of War,” presenting hormone therapy as an investment in military readiness, physical strength and long-term health.Related: Pete Hegseth mandates that all military service members watch his fratty Virginia speech to generals“We owe our warriors the absolute best medical care in the world, and this program delivers on that obligation,” Hegseth said. Under the program, service members age 30 and older will receive annual testosterone testing as part of their periodic health assessments. Younger troops may request testing. Those diagnosed with a deficiency may voluntarily receive testosterone replacement therapy if it is recommended by a medical provider, he said.“This initiative, it’s not about artificial enhancement,” Hegseth claimed. “It’s about restoring and optimizing your natural capabilities, protecting your longevity, ensuring you have the biological foundation required to sustain the fight.”The Pentagon has not said how much the program will cost or what testosterone levels will qualify as deficient. What is already clear is the administration’s starkly different treatment of hormone therapy depending on who receives it.For service members presumed to be cisgender, testosterone is now being promoted as evidence-based care that may enhance resilience, longevity and combat readiness. For transgender service members, hormone therapy has been portrayed as costly, disruptive and incompatible with military service.The cost argumentThe Trump administration has repeatedly invoked medical costs while defending i