Hegseth Orders Annual Testosterone Screening for US Troops Over 30
By Alysa Woodie - SCN
WASHINGTON, U.S.: US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has announced a new military health policy requiring service members aged 30 and older to undergo annual screening for testosterone deficiency.
The testing will be incorporated into troops’ routine periodic health assessments. Service members younger than 30 will also be allowed to request the screening voluntarily.
Hegseth said the initiative is intended to identify hormonal deficiencies that may affect physical performance, psychological resilience and long-term health. He presented the programme as part of a broader effort to ensure American troops can perform at their “absolute best.”
Troops found to have clinically low testosterone could be offered medical treatment, including testosterone replacement therapy. However, participation in treatment will remain voluntary, and the policy does not require service members to take hormone medication solely because a screening produces a low result.
Hegseth stressed that the programme is intended to restore normal biological function rather than artificially enhance military performance.
“This is not about creating super soldiers,” he said while announcing the initiative. “This is about restoring and optimising your natural capabilities.”
The Pentagon has not yet released complete details explaining what testosterone level would qualify as deficient, whether repeat tests would be required or how the screening standards would apply differently to male and female service members.
Military stress may affect hormone levels
Testosterone is present in both men and women, although men generally have much higher levels. It contributes to muscle and bone health, energy, sexual function and the production of red blood cells.
Levels can decline naturally with age. Sleep deprivation, chronic stress, serious illness, certain medications and intense physical demands may also affect hormone production.
Those factors can be especially relevant in military service, where deployments, irregular sleep, combat exposure and sustained physical training may place considerable strain on the body.
The issue has received particular attention within special operations forces. Concerns have been raised that repeated deployments, traumatic brain injuries, disrupted sleep and demanding training cycles may contribute to hormonal problems among some personnel.
Congress previously directed the Pentagon to examine its testosterone-testing and treatment practices, including whether service members experiencing symptoms were receiving appropriate medical evaluations.
Medical experts urge careful diagnosis
The new programme may help identify troops with genuine medical deficiencies, but health specialists caution that testosterone levels cannot always be interpreted through a single blood test.
Hormone levels fluctuate during the day and can be affected by sleep, diet, illness and medication. Clinical guidelines generally require both symptoms and consistently low test results before testosterone replacement therapy is recommended.
Possible symptoms can include reduced muscle mass, fatigue, depression, irritability and lower sexual function. However, those conditions can also have other causes that may require different treatment.
Testosterone therapy may benefit properly diagnosed patients, but it can also carry risks and requires medical supervision. Experts have therefore warned against treating the hormone as a general performance or anti-ageing medication.
Questions over women in uniform
The announcement has also prompted questions about whether the programme sufficiently addresses the hormonal health of female service members.
Women also need testosterone for normal physical and reproductive health, but their hormone levels and medical requirements differ significantly from those of men.
Some Democratic lawmakers and female military veterans have argued that the Pentagon should provide equally comprehensive screening and treatment for health conditions affecting women rather than building a programme around an overwhelmingly male-focused understanding of readiness.
The criticism comes amid wider debate over Hegseth’s military policies, including changes to fitness standards, combat roles and personnel practices.
Part of Hegseth’s readiness agenda
Since taking office, Hegseth has repeatedly emphasised physical fitness, discipline and what he describes as the restoration of a “warrior ethos” throughout the armed forces.
The testosterone initiative fits into that broader agenda by connecting preventive healthcare with combat readiness. Supporters may view the programme as an effort to diagnose an overlooked medical problem before it affects careers or operational performance.
Critics are likely to focus on how the policy is implemented, whether patient privacy will be protected and whether troops could feel pressured to accept treatment despite its officially voluntary status.
The programme’s impact will ultimately depend on the clinical standards established by military doctors—not simply on how many troops receive blood tests.
Most Unique Fact
Testing will be automatic every year for troops aged 30 and older, while younger service members may voluntarily request the same screening during their health assessments.