Pentagon Sets Mandatory Testosterone Testing for Male Troops Over 30

The Pentagon has released formal clinical guidance for mandatory testosterone testing of male service members aged 30 and older, advancing a program first announced by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in July. The guidance, issued late Thursday, sets out how the screening effort will operate.

The policy initially applies only to male personnel. Hegseth's July memo had directed mandatory screening for testosterone deficiency across all troops, but the new document frames the program as covering "testosterone deficiency in the male service member." It states that a separate female clinical practice guideline is under review and will be posted once approved. The Pentagon has not indicated whether female troops will be able to seek evaluation for estrogen-based therapy as they enter perimenopause.

Hegseth has argued that screening for low testosterone is needed so troops can perform at their "absolute best," citing the psychological and mental demands of modern combat. Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said the aim is to "invest in the health of its warfighters, strengthen their performance, and maximize force readiness" by identifying and treating suboptimal hormone levels.

The initiative arrives amid heightened public interest in testosterone, fueled by men's health influencers and podcasters who often promote the hormone as a way to boost energy, build muscle and feel younger. Medical experts say such broad benefits are not supported by the science, and Hegseth's public messaging has mixed established facts with less substantiated claims.

Testosterone levels decline naturally with age and can influence sexual function, mood, bone density and other measures, but how to diagnose related problems and whether to treat them with replacement therapy has long been debated. Federal studies over the past decade have shown that boosting testosterone can improve erectile dysfunction, low libido and other conditions in men.

Medical groups generally do not recommend automatic screening. Guidelines typically call for testosterone treatment in men who report symptoms such as low libido or depressed mood and who have two blood tests confirming low levels. The Pentagon's approach departs from that by requiring screening for all male personnel 30 and older, while allowing younger members to request it.

In most other respects, the guidance aligns with medical standards. It acknowledges limited benefits from replacement therapy, noting that evidence does not support its use to improve energy, vitality, physical function or cognition, while pointing to demonstrated benefits for sexual function and certain body measures, including bone density. Treatment is not mandatory for those found eligible.

The document also flags long-established side effects, including a potential drop in sperm count, since external testosterone typically reduces or halts natural sperm production. Military doctors are instructed not to prescribe testosterone therapy to anyone hoping to have children in the near future.

Practical complications are addressed as well. Testosterone is a controlled substance, and the guidance notes that its use in a deployed environment raises supply, custody, storage and continuity issues that should be resolved before departure rather than in theater. Injectable testosterone requires controlled room-temperature storage and controlled-substance accountability, and troops on replacement therapy must ensure they have enough supply despite federal limits on prescriptions for controlled substances. Those cautions contrast with Hegseth's July remarks presenting testosterone therapy as part of the solution to battlefield readiness demands.