Hegseth is a nitwit. Lower level T in a male of any age is not necessarily indicative of a major issue. Androgen receptor number varies among males. Those who have lower numbers of receptors actually make less testosterone that is actually more potent than some who make higher levels. A blood test result does not always tell the whole story. In fact, some medications actually block testosterone receptors freeing them up so more free testosterone is in the blood but it is essentially inactive.
That gets to my point-- can the Sec'y of Defense make whatever rules they damn well please, science be damned, or can it be challenged in court under the "arbitrary and capricious" grounds of most Federal regulations?
That is a great question. I am not sure about them making up their own rules, but I would think any serviceman should be allowed to challenge anything in court. Excessive levels of free testosterone in the system could be considered potentially deleterious in someone who may have a genetic tendency towards prostate cancer.
I guess it depends on how Hegseth implements this. If he forces all servicemen to have serum testosterone levels measured and then orders them to accept testosterone prescriptions accordingly, that should be something that can be legally challenged, I would think, but I'm not an attorney.
Yes, there are a lot of different factors that govern hormone levels in the blood as well as how active/effective they actually are at the tissue level. In the case of testosterone, obesity is a big factor because fat tissue produces a type of estrogen. We have a couple of generations of boys and men who have grown up far less physically active than previous generations and with higher rates of obesity than ever before. Police, ICE, and others have found fewer new recruits able to pass the traditional physical fitness tests. But that's not a testosterone problem; it's a modern lifestyle problem.
The other thing I want to point out here is that we really don't know nearly as much about these sex hormones as we need to know. Yes, the Trump admin getting rid of the black box label on vaginal estrogen creams has been helpful, but there's still the problem of American doctors fearful of being sued for malpractice if they prescribe Hormone Replacement Therapy for postmenopausal women, *especially* for the women over 60 yo. It's all the fault of one clinical trial (WHI) that published a paper warning of elevated breast cancer risk for women on HRT. Long story there, but suffice to say that this not only stopped most doctors from prescribing HRT -- and STILL stops them 25 years later -- but it ALSO stopped most of the research into HRT in the USA. Meanwhile, the Europeans continued to do research and have concluded that there were serious flaws in the WHI study and that the breast cancer risk, if it existed at all, was only for the synthetic progestins in HRT at the time. The body identical progesterone prescribed NOW does not seem associated with breast cancer.
So, we've got this ironic situation in the USA in which consistent, logical decision-making has not been applied and necessary research has not been supported as it should be. We need the federal government to make the system MORE logical and consistent, but what we're seeing (except for the vaginal estrogen cream thing) is less logic, less consistency, and less support for research.
I wonder how the orange convicted felon gets to lower his testosterone level, since it is doubtful such a continuously high number is healthy. I'm sure Melania is not going to let him touch her.
Kegsbreath is a complete and total idiot - and that is the nicest thing I can say about him. He has absolutely no idea what he is talking about on virtually any subject and he displays his ignorance almost daily, just like his mentor, Felon47. The fact he is able to make decisions that impact the lives and safety of others is positively insane - just like him. I wouldn't trust him to have the mental acuity to keep a potted plant alive.
OK, can we take a moment to define the real issue -- for Hegseth: effeminacy. Why was Hegesth to this position of power and life and death decisions? It is because of his looks -- on Trump's favorite tv channel and not competence, knowledge or ability (as none of Trumps' appointees have). Coiffed beautifully, slicked back hairdo that won't fade in the rain, or mess in the wind; make-up applied smoothly; dressed in tailored uniform or suit.
A fashionista? Is it not clear -- demanding that all enlisted men be "fit" (looking good in those crisp uniforms); now directing the male soldiers to "man-up", become even more manly/macho-show those increased and rippling muscles. As he refuses to promote women, and states that they do not belong on the battlefield, as they are by definition not tough enough, we see a weak man, fearful of any accusation of being "soft"-- a characteristic defining femineity apparently in his world.
Need I define this dread further...we can leave it whispered and unspoken.
This is sad, a personal level, but as Hegseth has given huge power, without any qualifications to do, except a face and demeanor for tv, his continued presence is a danger to our foreign policy, its execution, and the implementation of an opaque government, unresponsive to the needs and wants of its citizens
Every time I see a picture of Hegseth, my attention is drawn to his hair. It is indeed slicked back and the appearance to me is distasteful. Does he want to look like Fonzie? It’s unnatural and I seriously doubt that you will find many men who wear their hair that way,,
Just when I think he can't possibly get any worse, he springs up like a bad clown in a jackbox. Too bad hegseth can't be injected with common sense, compassion and knowledge.
Every Rethuglican accusation is a confession. Ol' Potent Potables Petey must have gotten confirmation of his fears that he is himself majorly T- deficient. He's all a-tizzy!
I think we should do more research and use evidence to guide our hormonal treatments. The main thing that happens when you give exogenous testosterone to a healthy man is that the man's body stops producing its own testosterone in an effort to maintain testosterone levels at its preferred level. This can cause gonadal shrinkage. And the current science strongly suggests that women should never be given exogenous testosterone because it a) is mostly just converted quickly into estrogen; and b) has a lot of side effects and no proven benefits, so just giving estrogen achieves the same goal without the side effects. Testosterone does not successfully treat low libido or mood disorders or any of the other things you may imagine that it treats in women.
Nothing against today’s troops, who are being used as pawns and props by Hegseth, but I’d put anyone of them up against this baby-faced guy, who was 5’5” and weighed 112 pounds when he enlisted. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Audie_Murphy?wprov=sfti1#
I'm curious-- can a proclamation by the Sec'y of Defense be challenged in court on the basis of "arbitrary and capricious" grounds that would apply in the Administrative Procedures Act? Or is it the case that whatever that SOB (who has clearly watched too many Rambo pictures) says, goes?
Hegseth is a nitwit. Lower level T in a male of any age is not necessarily indicative of a major issue. Androgen receptor number varies among males. Those who have lower numbers of receptors actually make less testosterone that is actually more potent than some who make higher levels. A blood test result does not always tell the whole story. In fact, some medications actually block testosterone receptors freeing them up so more free testosterone is in the blood but it is essentially inactive.
That gets to my point-- can the Sec'y of Defense make whatever rules they damn well please, science be damned, or can it be challenged in court under the "arbitrary and capricious" grounds of most Federal regulations?
That is a great question. I am not sure about them making up their own rules, but I would think any serviceman should be allowed to challenge anything in court. Excessive levels of free testosterone in the system could be considered potentially deleterious in someone who may have a genetic tendency towards prostate cancer.
I guess it depends on how Hegseth implements this. If he forces all servicemen to have serum testosterone levels measured and then orders them to accept testosterone prescriptions accordingly, that should be something that can be legally challenged, I would think, but I'm not an attorney.
Yes, there are a lot of different factors that govern hormone levels in the blood as well as how active/effective they actually are at the tissue level. In the case of testosterone, obesity is a big factor because fat tissue produces a type of estrogen. We have a couple of generations of boys and men who have grown up far less physically active than previous generations and with higher rates of obesity than ever before. Police, ICE, and others have found fewer new recruits able to pass the traditional physical fitness tests. But that's not a testosterone problem; it's a modern lifestyle problem.
The other thing I want to point out here is that we really don't know nearly as much about these sex hormones as we need to know. Yes, the Trump admin getting rid of the black box label on vaginal estrogen creams has been helpful, but there's still the problem of American doctors fearful of being sued for malpractice if they prescribe Hormone Replacement Therapy for postmenopausal women, *especially* for the women over 60 yo. It's all the fault of one clinical trial (WHI) that published a paper warning of elevated breast cancer risk for women on HRT. Long story there, but suffice to say that this not only stopped most doctors from prescribing HRT -- and STILL stops them 25 years later -- but it ALSO stopped most of the research into HRT in the USA. Meanwhile, the Europeans continued to do research and have concluded that there were serious flaws in the WHI study and that the breast cancer risk, if it existed at all, was only for the synthetic progestins in HRT at the time. The body identical progesterone prescribed NOW does not seem associated with breast cancer.
So, we've got this ironic situation in the USA in which consistent, logical decision-making has not been applied and necessary research has not been supported as it should be. We need the federal government to make the system MORE logical and consistent, but what we're seeing (except for the vaginal estrogen cream thing) is less logic, less consistency, and less support for research.
From saltpeter to this.
... to softpeter?
So let me make sure I understand this, the White House is promoting gender, affirming care. Is that correct?
Personally, I think that playing around with hormones is asking for trouble.
I wonder how the orange convicted felon gets to lower his testosterone level, since it is doubtful such a continuously high number is healthy. I'm sure Melania is not going to let him touch her.
Kegsbreath is a complete and total idiot - and that is the nicest thing I can say about him. He has absolutely no idea what he is talking about on virtually any subject and he displays his ignorance almost daily, just like his mentor, Felon47. The fact he is able to make decisions that impact the lives and safety of others is positively insane - just like him. I wouldn't trust him to have the mental acuity to keep a potted plant alive.
OK, can we take a moment to define the real issue -- for Hegseth: effeminacy. Why was Hegesth to this position of power and life and death decisions? It is because of his looks -- on Trump's favorite tv channel and not competence, knowledge or ability (as none of Trumps' appointees have). Coiffed beautifully, slicked back hairdo that won't fade in the rain, or mess in the wind; make-up applied smoothly; dressed in tailored uniform or suit.
A fashionista? Is it not clear -- demanding that all enlisted men be "fit" (looking good in those crisp uniforms); now directing the male soldiers to "man-up", become even more manly/macho-show those increased and rippling muscles. As he refuses to promote women, and states that they do not belong on the battlefield, as they are by definition not tough enough, we see a weak man, fearful of any accusation of being "soft"-- a characteristic defining femineity apparently in his world.
Need I define this dread further...we can leave it whispered and unspoken.
This is sad, a personal level, but as Hegseth has given huge power, without any qualifications to do, except a face and demeanor for tv, his continued presence is a danger to our foreign policy, its execution, and the implementation of an opaque government, unresponsive to the needs and wants of its citizens
Why testosterone treatment. Just put them on steroids.
Every time I see a picture of Hegseth, my attention is drawn to his hair. It is indeed slicked back and the appearance to me is distasteful. Does he want to look like Fonzie? It’s unnatural and I seriously doubt that you will find many men who wear their hair that way,,
Just when I think he can't possibly get any worse, he springs up like a bad clown in a jackbox. Too bad hegseth can't be injected with common sense, compassion and knowledge.
Every Rethuglican accusation is a confession. Ol' Potent Potables Petey must have gotten confirmation of his fears that he is himself majorly T- deficient. He's all a-tizzy!
I think we should do more research and use evidence to guide our hormonal treatments. The main thing that happens when you give exogenous testosterone to a healthy man is that the man's body stops producing its own testosterone in an effort to maintain testosterone levels at its preferred level. This can cause gonadal shrinkage. And the current science strongly suggests that women should never be given exogenous testosterone because it a) is mostly just converted quickly into estrogen; and b) has a lot of side effects and no proven benefits, so just giving estrogen achieves the same goal without the side effects. Testosterone does not successfully treat low libido or mood disorders or any of the other things you may imagine that it treats in women.
Nothing against today’s troops, who are being used as pawns and props by Hegseth, but I’d put anyone of them up against this baby-faced guy, who was 5’5” and weighed 112 pounds when he enlisted. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Audie_Murphy?wprov=sfti1#
this is the stuff gym rats concern themselves with
too bad they don't make a blu chew for brain function...
I'm curious-- can a proclamation by the Sec'y of Defense be challenged in court on the basis of "arbitrary and capricious" grounds that would apply in the Administrative Procedures Act? Or is it the case that whatever that SOB (who has clearly watched too many Rambo pictures) says, goes?