The Pentagon on Thursday temporarily revoked guidance instructing the military to perform testosterone screening for male service members.
This comes a day after the Pentagon published the guidance.
From The Hill:
The Pentagon temporarily rescinded the recently issued guidance instructing mandatory testosterone deficiency screening for male active-duty and reserve service members age 30 and older, a Pentagon official told The Hill on Thursday.
The guidance, which was unveiled on Wednesday, stated that men over the age of 30 would get testosterone blood tests, while those younger than 30 would only be tested if health professionals deemed it necessary or if the service members wanted it themselves.
The guidelines for the tests were released on the Defense Health Agency (DHA) website as “Clinical Guidance for Health and Human Performance Optimization,” outlining that those service members who are diagnosed with low testosterone would be given treatments and additional screenings.
Female service members would be asked whether they have disrupted menstrual cycles that could be linked with hormonal dysregulation, according to the guidelines.
But the guidelines were temporarily rescinded to allow for “updates,” according to a Pentagon official.
NEWS: Pentagon temporarily rescinded the recently issued guidance instructing mandatory testosterone deficiency screening for male active-duty and reserve service members age 30 and older, a Pentagon official told me @thehill https://t.co/IpM74zhdf1
— Filip Timotija (@filip_timotija) September 3, 2026
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth originally announced the policy back in July. “While we invest heavily in our weapon systems, platforms and gear, our most decisive tactical advantage will always be the individual warfighter,” he said in a video posted on X. “We have a sacred duty to maintain that advantage, which is why we must constantly look for new ways to optimize your performance, your resilience and your long-term health.”
The High-T Department of War. pic.twitter.com/hlAUq3j2cD
— Secretary of War Pete Hegseth (@SecWar) July 15, 2026
Reactions to the announcement were mixed, with medical experts split on the policy. Endocrinologist Adrian Dobs, a professor of medicine and oncology at Johns Hopkins University, said, “I think it is crazy” and warned that lab results can vary and that a slightly low number does not necessarily indicate that the person needs treatment.
Georgetown University professor Adriane Fugh-Berman told The Washington Post, “This is non-evidence-based and could cause harm.”
Other doctors had different opinions. Harvard Medical School’s Abraham Morgentaler said testosterone testing “is just as valuable as a TSH for thyroid disease, or liver tests, or kidney tests, which are all standard annual labs.”