WASHINGTON, D.C. — US District Judge Ana Reyes ordered the Pentagon to explain the basis for treating transgender service members differently than cisgender service members regarding testosterone replacement therapy. The judge directed both parties in the lawsuit to address the similarities and differences in administering the therapy medically and logistically for transgender men compared to other service members.

Reyes ordered the Department of Defense to address questions regarding the cost and administration of the therapy before the next scheduled hearing on August 7, 2025. The order arises from an ongoing legal challenge in which Reyes is overseeing a lawsuit challenging President Donald Trump's ban on transgender troops.

In her ruling, Reyes cited Trump's executive order, which states that the Armed Forces must adhere to high mental and physical health standards… without the benefit of routine medical treatment or special provisions. The lawsuit was initiated when transgender active duty service members and former service members seeking to reenlist filed a complaint against the ban in late January 2025.

Reyes granted class-action status to the lawsuit, expanding the scope of the legal action. The proceedings have seen mixed results in higher courts, as a divided panel of federal appeals court judges partially upheld Reyes' order finding the ban unlawful. However, the US Supreme Court has allowed the Pentagon to enforce the ban while litigation continues.

Reyes is an appointee of former President Joe Biden. The medical context of the order involves testosterone, a naturally occurring male hormone that helps build and maintain bone density and muscle mass. Testosterone levels in men decline naturally with age and are linked to issues such as erectile dysfunction, low libido, mood changes, and weight gain.

Medical experts stated that unnecessary or inappropriately prescribed testosterone replacement therapy might have harmful consequences, including increased risk to fertility and other long-term health problems. This judicial scrutiny occurs alongside a separate Pentagon initiative, as the department's testosterone screening and treatment program was announced on July 15, 2025. According to a DoD financial report, that program includes all service members 30 and older, including women, and has an estimated annual cost of $120 million.