Pentagon Pushes Universal Testosterone Screening for Service Members

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has announced a program that will require annual testosterone screening for all active-duty personnel aged 30 and older, regardless of symptoms, while troops under 30 may request testing during routine health assessments. The screening schedule is set to begin on May 30. Service members who are found to have low levels could be offered hormone-replacement therapy (HRT) while still in the service and potentially continue treatment after separation.

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The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) previously faced criticism for its management of testosterone therapy. A 2018 Office of Inspector General review found that providers often started treatment without documented symptoms or confirmed low levels, and that roughly two-thirds of patients did not receive a documented discussion of risks and benefits. The review also noted that the VA had routinely violated Endocrine Society clinical practice guidelines, prompting seven corrective recommendations that the agency later reported as implemented.

The Intercept

Defense Department personnel data from 2024 show about 451,000 active-duty troops aged 31 or older, a conservative figure that excludes 30-year-olds who would also be screened. More than 1 million of the military’s 1.27 million active-duty members are men. The VA’s own statement emphasizes that it provides testosterone testing and replacement therapy “when medically necessary.”

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The Pentagon has not disclosed the scientific evidence underpinning the mandate, nor how it will coordinate continuity of care between the Department of Defense and the VA, leaving uncertainty about long-term costs and fertility impacts for service members.

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