The Independent
· collected 2026-09-18 · by Konstantin Toropin and Matthew Perrone
The Pentagon has issued formal guidance for mandatory testosterone testing for male service members 30 and older, two weeks after publishing and abruptly pulling the policy.
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Pentagon → issue → policy
The updated guidance excludes female personnel, for now, as medical experts question the necessity and efficacy of such a program.
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experts → update → program
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced in July that a broad program to screen troops for "testosterone deficiency" was being rolled out to help them operate at their "absolute best."
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them → announce → best
The new clinical guidance, released late Thursday, outlines how this program will function.
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program → release → ?
The Pentagon's effort to test personnel for low testosterone coincides with widespread public interest in the hormone, largely driven by men’s health influencers and podcasters who promote the treatment to boost energy, build muscle, and feel younger.
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who → test → muscle
However, many medical experts say those sweeping benefits are not supported by scientific evidence.
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benefits → say → evidence
Hegseth's statements on the hormone have combined established scientific facts with broader and less substantiated assertions.
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statements → combine → assertions
The Pentagon’s previously posted guidance involved separate screening for women service members.
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guidance → post → members
While it did not require routine hormonal testing, it said women over the age of 35 should be asked about symptoms of hormonal dysregulation and referred for further assessment if needed.
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women → require → assessment
It also issued guidelines for when it is appropriate to prescribe off-label testosterone in women, Fox News reported at the time.
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News → issue → time
The clinical guidance released Thursday specifies the mandatory tests are for "testosterone deficiency in the male service member."
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tests → release → member
The guidance notes that "the female clinical practice guideline is being reviewed and will be posted upon approval."
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guideline → note → approval
The Pentagon has not specified whether female service members will be eligible for evaluation for estrogen-based therapy as they enter perimenopause.
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they → specify → perimenopause
Testosterone levels decrease naturally as men age, impacting mood, sexual function, bone density, and other physical measures.
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men → decrease → mood
However, health experts have long debated how to properly diagnose these issues and whether hormone replacement therapy is appropriate.
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therapy → debate → issues
Over the last decade, federal research has shown that increasing testosterone levels can help improve erectile dysfunction, reduced libido, and other medical concerns in men.
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increasing → show → men
The Pentagon's top spokesman, Sean Parnell, stated Thursday that "by proactively identifying and treating suboptimal hormone levels," the Defense Department aims to "invest in the health of its warfighters, strengthen their performance, and maximize force readiness."
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Department → state → readiness
Major medical organizations generally advise against routine, automatic screening of testosterone levels.
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organizations → advise → levels
Instead, standard clinical guidelines recommend testing for men who report specific symptoms — such as low libido and depressed mood — and receive two blood tests confirming reduced hormone levels.
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who → recommend → levels
The Pentagon’s policy departs from that established approach by requiring testosterone screening for every male service member 30 and older, while also allowing younger personnel to request testing.
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personnel → depart → testing
In other respects, the new protocol mostly conforms to accepted medical standards, including acknowledging the limited benefits of hormone replacement.
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protocol → conform → replacement
For example, the document states: "Evidence does not support its use to improve energy, vitality, physical function, or cognition."
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Evidence → state → energy
Instead, it points to "demonstrated benefits" for sexual function and specific physical measures, including bone density.
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it → point → density
The policy does not require replacement therapy if a service member tests eligible, and the guidance highlights long-established side effects of hormone therapy, including a potential drop in sperm count.
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guidance → require → count
When synthetic testosterone is administered, the body often reduces — or stops — its natural sperm production.
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body → administer → production
As a result, military healthcare providers are instructed not to prescribe testosterone therapy to service members planning to father children in the near future.
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providers → instruct → future
Another complicating factor for personnel is the regulated status of testosterone itself.
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factor → complicate → testosterone
The memo notes that its "use in the deployed environment raises supply, custody, storage, and continuity considerations that should be resolved before departure rather than in theater."
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that → note → theater
The new guidelines specify that injectable testosterone "requires controlled room temperature storage and controlled substance accountability" and that service members receiving therapy must ensure they maintain an adequate supply, despite federal legal limits on prescriptions for controlled substances like testosterone.
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they → specify → testosterone
The caution and practical hurdles outlined in the document regarding deployment stand in contrast to statements from Hegseth in July, when he argued that the demands of the modern battlefield require "maximum psychological and mental readiness" and positioned testosterone therapy as part of the solution.
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demands → outline → solution
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