Fox News host Jesse Watters needed Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to repeat himself after he claimed that American teenagers now have lower testosterone levels than 68-year-old men.
RFK Jr: An American teenager today has less testosterone than a 68 year old man. Sperm counts are down 50 percent.
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) April 23, 2025
WATTERS: Wait -- an American teenager has less testosterone than a 68 year old man?
RFK JR: That's right pic.twitter.com/JKwhxikivh
The remark was made during a segment on Jesse Watters Primetime, where Kennedy was discussing a newly announced plan to phase out eight artificial food dyes commonly found in American snacks like cereal and candy.
While pushing for cleaner ingredients in food, Kennedy veered into broader health concerns — which, to Watters' surprise, included testosterone levels and sperm counts in teenage boys.
"A teenager today, an American teenager, has less testosterone than a 68-year-old man," Kennedy said. "Sperm counts are down 50%."
Caught off guard, Watters interrupted with a chuckle: "Wait, wait — an American teenager has less testosterone than a 68-year-old man?"
"That's right," Kennedy insisted. "Testosterone levels have dropped 50 percent from historic levels. And, you know, that is a problem. It's an existential problem."
While research has shown a general decline in male reproductive health globally, the data is nuanced, and experts warn against overgeneralized or alarmist interpretations. However, studies have shown that testosterone levels naturally decrease with age in men, typically starting between the ages of 30-40.
Evidence of sperm count decline over time stems from a 2017 study that recognized limitations in data collection and called for further study. Other scientific studies have named obesity, forever chemicals and microplastics as having a negative impact on male fertility, but acknowledge further study is needed.
Kennedy's appearance came shortly after the HHS and FDA jointly announced efforts to eliminate petroleum-based synthetic dyes in American foods by the end of 2026, citing potential health risks and discrepancies in international food standards.
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