Pentagon Orders Annual Testosterone Tests for Troops 30+, Reaching at Least 451,000 Active-Duty Members
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Jul 21
Pentagon Orders Annual Testosterone Tests for Troops 30+, Reaching at Least 451,000 Active-Duty Members
3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Jul 21
Summary
Hegseth’s directive makes testosterone-deficiency screening a required annual check for all active-duty and reserve service members 30 and older, with younger troops allowed to request the blood test.
At least 451,000 active-duty personnel were age 31 or older in 2023, and the Pentagon says the program is meant to build a force-wide baseline and enable targeted therapy when medically appropriate.
Veterans, physicians, lawmakers and hormone-treatment advocates helped push the policy, arguing fatigue, depression and poor focus are sometimes treated with SSRIs before doctors rule out hormonal causes.
The mandate still leaves key medical questions unresolved, including how deficiency will be defined in women, what treatments TRICARE will cover, and whether fertility counseling will precede testosterone therapy.
The Endocrine Society warned there is insufficient evidence for population-wide screening of asymptomatic men, and Hegseth gave Pentagon health officials until Aug. 15 to write the implementation rules.