Only 12% of testosterone prescriptions are medically necessary - and Trump wants to make that ratio even smaller

Key Points:

• The U.S. military, supported by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, will begin screening troops for low testosterone and offering hormone therapy to enhance performance, despite mixed scientific support for testosterone as a general vitality booster.
• The FDA recently removed a strong heart risk warning for testosterone treatments and proposed updating prescribing guidelines to allow use for age-related symptoms like low libido and erectile dysfunction, reflecting new research showing sexual health benefits without increased heart risks.
• Testosterone therapy was originally approved for medical conditions causing low hormone levels, but its use expanded widely in the 2010s due to aggressive marketing, leading to overprescribing and FDA warnings; current guidelines recommend treatment only after documented low testosterone and symptoms.
• Large recent studies, including FDA-mandated and NIH research, show testosterone improves sexual function and mood in older men but has limited effects on fatigue or cognition, with ongoing calls for longer-term safety research, especially regarding prostate cancer risks.
• Experts caution against testosterone use in men seeking fertility due to its suppressive effect on sperm production and warn consumers to avoid unregulated supplements and poorly screened online prescriptions, emphasizing the need for proper medical evaluation before therapy.