As experts evaluate testosterone's safety for men, Planned Parenthood gives it to minor girls

As experts disagree on the potential risks and benefits of prescribing testosterone to adult biological males, Planned Parenthood continues to prescribe biological girls and women the male hormone while evading scrutiny and receiving restored taxpayer funding.

Key Takeaways:

• HHS is proposing changes to the prescribing information for testosterone replacement therapy for males.

• There are concerns that making it easier to access could lead to more men without low testosterone taking the hormone, which could mask other conditions.

• At the same time that experts recommend the testing of hormonal levels and checking for endocrine disorders in men who have low testosterone, Planned Parenthood seems to evade scrutiny while prescribing the hormone to teen girls without an in-person visit and no testing.

• Testosterone is a regulated, Schedule III drug. At least one expert has stated that if he prescribed the hormone to teenage girls the way Planned Parenthood does, it would be considered prosecutable, criminal behavior.

The Details:

On June 18, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced that following the results of a recent “comprehensive review of new clinical data and existing scientific evidence,” the agency proposed changes to “prescribing information for testosterone replacement therapy” aiming to make the synthetic male hormone more easily accessible to biological males.

HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. stated, “During Men’s Health Month, we are putting science back at the center of men’s healthcare. By updating testosterone therapy labels to reflect current evidence, we are giving patients and physicians clearer information, supporting informed medical decisions, and improving care for millions of American men.”   

According to a recent report by Medical News, testosterone replacement therapy “surged in popularity" in the early 2000s, which prompted concerns that “the treatment was being overprescribed.” This led to tighter regulations after “questions about its cardiovascular safety” emerged from some in the scientific community.

While some in the field still hold reservations of expanded access and use among some groups of men, Assistant Secretary for Health Brian J. Christine stated, “As our understanding of testosterone therapy continues to evolve, prescribing information should reflect the best available science.”

Changes to product labeling could help expand access, but an emerging concern, according to endocrinologist Dr. Peter Snyder, is that “Most men taking testosterone in the US today don’t actually have low testosterone,” which may cause other underlying conditions to go unnoticed or undiagnosed.

Medical News reported that low testosterone in men is associated with “weakened bones, muscle loss, weight gain, sexual dysfunction, and mental health issues” — and in extreme cases, an increased risk of death. 

Michael Davis, acting director of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, stated it is the FDA’s “responsibility… to ensure prescribing information reflects the best available scientific evidence. These updates provide patients and healthcare professionals with clearer information about the benefits and risks of testosterone replacement therapy and support informed treatment decisions (emphasis added).” 

Why It Matters:

Ironically, while the alleged benefits and risks of testosterone therapy continue to be debated for adult biological men, under the science-rejecting euphemism of “gender-affirming care” (GAC), facilities like Planned Parenthood prescribe the synthetic hormone to still-developing teenage girls.

If only minor females were afforded similar “informed consent” standards as men before being prescribed with wrong-sex hormones.

According to endocrinologist Dr. Michael Laidlaw, the FDA has “not approved any drugs to treat gender dysphoria” or gender identity disorder, yet in the case of Cristina Hineman, court documents state that a Planned Parenthood nurse practitioner prescribed her testosterone after less than 30 minutes.

Helena Kerschner told the New York Post that Planned Parenthood prescribed her “four times the typical starting dose [of testosterone]… without ever seeing a doctor.”   

So what are the regulations and guideline standards for prescribing testosterone to adult males?

Regulation of Testosterone for Adult Males

According to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), testosterone is a controlled substance that is classified as a schedule III drug. This is why the drug is available only by prescription. 

The American Urological Association’s (AUA) “Guideline Statements” outline the standards for providers to diagnose testosterone deficiency in adult men. Diagnosis guidance includes (but is not limited to): 

• The diagnosis of low testosterone should be made only after two total testosterone measurements are taken on separate occasions with both conducted in an early morning fashion. (Strong Recommendation; Evidence Level: Grade A)

• The clinical diagnosis of testosterone deficiency is only made when patients have low total testosterone levels combined with symptoms and/or signs. (Moderate Recommendation; Evidence Level: Grade B)

• Clinicians should consider measuring total testosterone in patients with a history of unexplained anemia, bone density loss, diabetes, exposure to chemotherapy, exposure to testicular radiation, HIV/AIDS, chronic narcotic use, male infertility, pituitary dysfunction, and chronic corticosteroid use even in the absence of symptoms or signs associated with testosterone deficiency. (Moderate Recommendation; Evidence Level: Grade B)

The AUA also recommends additional testing such as checking for endocrine disorders, reproductive health evaluations, and excluding prostate cancer diagnosis in men over 40. The AUA also recommends counseling for adult males: 

• Clinicians should inform testosterone deficient patients that low testosterone is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. (Strong Recommendation; Evidence Level: Grade B)

• Patients should be informed that testosterone therapy may result in improvements in erectile function, low sex drive, anemia, bone mineral density, lean body mass, and/or depressive symptoms. (Moderate Recommendation; Evidence Level: Grade B)

• Patients should be informed that the evidence is inconclusive whether testosterone therapy improves cognitive function, measures of diabetes, energy, fatigue, lipid profiles, and quality of life measures. (Moderate Recommendation; Evidence Level: Grade B)          

Double Standard

While government agencies, American institutions, and experts debate and regulate testosterone usage for adult males, Planned Parenthood prescribes the male hormone to female minors, in some cases without ever seeing them in person.

Last year, Live Action’s undercover investigation and report, “Transing Kids” and “Planned Parenthood’s Trans Agenda Exposed,” highlighted Planned Parenthood’s willingness to prescribe life-altering, cross-sex hormones to developing minors. 

Dr. Eithan Haim, who blew the whistle on Texas Children Health for continuing GAC practices, commented on Live Action’s investigation, stating: 

"In your investigation, you found a 16-year-old girl got testosterone via telehealth. That’s a Schedule III drug, like ketamine. You can’t just hand that out without evaluation.

That’s a pill mill. But this is a federally funded pill mill. If I did that, I’d go to prison. What you uncovered is a crime. This is criminal behavior. Not only should Planned Parenthood be defunded—they should be prosecuted."

Live Action’s recent report, "Planned Parenthood’s Path to Destruction: From Abortion to Transgender," breaks down the some of the serious risks commonly associated with puberty blockers and wrong-sex hormones, including: 

• Lower bone density and increased risk of osteoporosis and fractures. 

• Sexual dysfunction

• Possible cognitive impairments 

• Severe liver dysfunction, coronary artery disease-including heart attacks, depression, hypertension, infertility, increased risks of cervical, breast, and uterine cancers, sexual dysfunction.

The Bottom Line:

While government agencies like HHS and the FDA strive to ensure that adult men have access to the “clearer information about the benefits and risks of testosterone replacement therapy and support informed treatment decisions,” Planned Parenthood continues to evade scrutiny for prescribing the same hormone to young, developing females for diagnostically unverifiable conditions such as gender dysphoria (“an extreme discomfort with one’s sex and perceived gender”).

This is happening though the “science” has consistently failed to prove any benefit with its usage — and the “result” of becoming the opposite biological sex is contrary to reality, and thereby never achievable.