US Military To Screen Troops Over 30 For Low Testosterone In New Pentagon Health Initiative

US Military to Screen Troops Over 30 for Low Testosterone in New Pentagon Health Initiative U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has announced a new Pentagon policy requiring annual testosterone deficiency screenings for all military personnel aged 30 and older as part of their routine health assessments, saying the move is designed to improve troop readiness, resilience and long-term health. Under the initiative, service members aged 30 and above will automatically be tested during their yearly medical examinations. Personnel under the age of 30 will have the option to request the screening voluntarily. Hegseth said the program is intended to identify service members suffering from testosterone deficiency, a condition that can affect energy levels, muscle strength, mood, cognitive function and overall physical performance. He stressed that the policy is aimed at restoring normal hormone levels rather than enhancing performance. “I’m authorizing a new screening program for testosterone deficiency for our service members, ensuring you have the right testosterone levels to operate at your absolute best,” Hegseth said in a video announcing the policy.

Military personnel diagnosed with clinically low testosterone will be offered testosterone replacement therapy TRT, although participation in the treatment will remain voluntary. Pentagon officials say the goal is to support service members’ health while maintaining operational effectiveness. The announcement comes amid growing attention within the U.S. military to hormone health, particularly among special operations forces, where prolonged stress, sleep deprivation and demanding operational conditions have been linked to lower testosterone levels. However, the policy has generated debate among medical professionals and lawmakers. Experts caution that testosterone deficiency should be diagnosed through comprehensive clinical evaluation rather than a single blood test, and that testosterone replacement therapy carries potential risks as well as benefits. Critics have also questioned why the initiative focuses on testosterone without introducing comparable hormone-health screening programs for female service members. The Pentagon says further guidance on implementation will be issued to military medical providers before the screening program becomes part of annual health assessments across the armed forces.