Younger men screened on request or clinical indicators
The Pentagon issued new guidance late Thursday mandating testosterone deficiency screening for men over age 30 serving on active duty or in the reserves, replacing earlier screening guidance the Department of Defense rescinded earlier this month.
Under the new policy, the Defense Health Agency will administer what officials described as a “structured symptom and risk-factor assessment” for men 30 and older.
Male service members under 30 will be screened on request or if “clinical indicators are identified by the examining provider.”
Pentagon chief spokesperson Sean Parnell said the new guidance is designed to identify and treat “suboptimal hormone levels” and maximize force readiness.
“By proactively identifying and treating suboptimal hormone levels, the Department continues to invest in the health of its warfighters, strengthen their performance and maximize force readiness,” Parnell said in a statement.
The Pentagon says the new guidance will address testosterone deficiency in men and establish uniform screening and pathways for the Defense Health Agency.
The department’s stated goal is to ensure the military has a lethal fighting force “prepared to dominate the battlefield and achieve peace through strength.”
The new guidance follows Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s July announcement of a push to screen service members’ testosterone levels and offer testosterone replacement therapy.
Hegseth framed that initiative as keeping soldiers on the “leading edge of lethality.”