Annual Testosterone Screening Made Mandatory for US Service Members Aged 30 and Above

Dragon Media News Desk

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has announced a new policy requiring annual testosterone-deficiency screening for active-duty and reserve-component service members aged 30 and above.

According to an official statement released by the US Department of Defense on Wednesday, the policy takes effect immediately. Under the new arrangement, testosterone levels will be checked during routine periodic health assessments for service members aged 30 or older. Those under 30 may undergo the screening voluntarily.

In a video message posted on social media, Hegseth said testosterone levels may naturally decline with age and that such changes can affect the physical and mental health of military personnel.

He said the programme was intended to help service members maintain appropriate testosterone levels and perform at their full capacity.

“It is our responsibility to provide our service members with the best healthcare in the world,” Hegseth said. He described the initiative as part of a broader health strategy designed to keep military personnel physically strong, resilient and capable of carrying out their duties.

Hegseth also presented the programme as a long-term health initiative rather than one focused only on immediate deployment or combat readiness. He said the objective was to help service members remain healthy throughout their lives, including after retirement from military service.

According to the Defense Department, targeted testosterone treatment may be made available to personnel who are clinically diagnosed with a deficiency. Participation in such treatment would remain voluntary.

The treatment is generally known as testosterone replacement therapy. However, the available policy statement does not indicate that therapy would automatically begin after a single low test result.

Medical guidelines generally require physicians to consider symptoms, an individual’s overall health condition and the results of more than one blood test conducted on separate days before diagnosing testosterone deficiency.

Testosterone levels can vary throughout the day, meaning the timing of the test may also affect the result. Medical professionals generally regard morning testing as more reliable.

There is continuing debate within the medical community over routine testosterone screening for people who do not display clear symptoms or have an identifiable clinical reason for testing.

Testosterone is the principal sex hormone found in higher concentrations in men. It plays an important role in muscle development, bone density, sexual health, energy and other biological processes.

However, describing testosterone exclusively as a “male hormone” is not fully accurate because it is also produced in smaller quantities in women.

The Defense Department’s written statement says the screening requirement applies to all active-duty and reserve service members aged 30 and above. It does not establish separate categories for male and female personnel.

However, Hegseth’s video statement and the details released on possible treatment appear to focus primarily on testosterone deficiency in men.

The Defense Department has not yet published detailed guidance explaining how screening standards will apply to female service members, how normal testosterone ranges will be determined for them or what forms of treatment, if any, will be available.

Because of this lack of clarity, some female lawmakers and military veterans have argued that hormone-health screening should be designed to address the medical needs of both men and women.

They have called for military health policy to include age-related hormonal changes in women, reproductive health and conditions associated with the years leading up to menopause.

The Defense Department has stated that the new screening programme is not intended to artificially enhance military performance.

According to Hegseth, the purpose is not to raise testosterone beyond natural levels, but to identify clinical deficiencies and help affected service members return to a healthy physiological range.

The issue is sensitive within the US military.

In the past, concerns have been raised over the improper use of testosterone and related substances by members of specialised military units seeking to increase muscle mass or physical performance. The US Navy has previously conducted testing programmes aimed at detecting prohibited hormone-related substances.

Although the new policy represents a broad government programme for systematically screening testosterone levels among military personnel, several important implementation details remain unclear.

Future guidance will need to specify what level constitutes a clinical deficiency, when repeat testing will be required, which symptoms must be present before treatment is considered and how potential health risks associated with therapy will be monitored.

Hegseth has presented the programme as an effort to improve the health, readiness and long-term performance of the US military force.

The Defense Department believes the policy will help establish more comprehensive health data on service members and make it easier to provide targeted treatment to those who need it.