The Trump administration, led by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., is seeking to ease federal restrictions on prescribing testosterone. The proposal follows a policy announcement by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Tuesday, stating the military will begin screening troops for low testosterone and providing hormone replacement therapy to optimize performance.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently proposed updated prescribing instructions that would authorize the use of testosterone for age-related symptoms, such as low libido and erectile dysfunction. Current labels limit the drugs' approved use to men with abnormally low levels caused by specific medical conditions or injury. The FDA also removed a boxed safety warning last year after data from a 2023 study of 5,000 men suggested no increased risk of heart attack or stroke compared to a placebo.
Medical experts remain divided on the scope of use for the hormone. Advocates like Dr. Helen Bernie of Indiana University note that many patients seek treatment for quality-of-life symptoms that fall outside current strict diagnostic criteria. Other researchers, including Dr. Shalender Bhasin of Harvard Medical School, caution that symptom overlap with natural aging can lead to misdiagnosis. National Institutes of Health studies have shown improvements in sexual health and mood but indicated little to no benefit for fatigue or memory.