US military to mandate testosterone screening for troops 30 and older

US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth announced on Wednesday that the military will introduce mandatory annual testosterone screening for service members aged 30 and above, an initiative he said was aimed at countering testosterone deficiency that can undermine health. Hegseth said the screening could lead to troops being offered testosterone replacement therapy, designed, in his words, to ensure troops have "the right testosterone levels to operate at your absolute best".

The screenings will be folded into the annual health assessment required of all service members: automatic for those 30 and older, with younger troops able to volunteer for testing. In a video posted on X, Hegseth said receiving testosterone replacement therapy would be voluntary, and stressed the initiative was "not about artificial enhancement", but was designed to restore and protect service members' "natural capabilities" and longevity. He also tied addressing testosterone deficiency to the psychological and physical "readiness" of troops, promising the same level of support troops give the nation.

Coverage comparison

Reporting of the announcement was broadly consistent across the sources. BBC and Dawn framed the policy factually, centred on the Pentagon announcement and the mechanics of the screening programme. The Guardian, the Jerusalem Post, the South China Morning Post, The Hindu and The Intercept also carried the core facts — the age threshold of 30, the annual screening, and the voluntary nature of replacement therapy — while adding different layers of analysis. The Hindu and Dawn noted the move comes as the US Department of Health and Human Services has acted to ease restrictions on testosterone replacement therapies, including a move announced last month to lift limits on their use in men with age-related low testosterone.

The Intercept’s coverage was the most critical, focusing on the potential risks of the programme. It reported that a person on testosterone therapy cannot simply stop abruptly, quoting Dr. Adrian Dobs, a professor of medicine at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, on how therapy can suppress the body’s natural production of the hormone and sperm, creating medical needs that persist after treatment stops. Dobs warned that proactive screening could lead to overprescription of hormone therapy for people who do not need it, and that testosterone use can reduce sperm counts, with implications for fertility.

Key claims

  • The Pentagon announced mandatory annual testosterone screening for troops aged 30 or older, an initiative officials said was aimed at countering testosterone deficiency that can undermine health. — carried by the BBC, Dawn, The Guardian, Jerusalem Post, South China Morning Post, The Hindu and The Intercept.
  • The US Department of Health and Human Services has moved to ease restrictions on some testosterone replacement therapies, including announcing last month it would seek to remove limits on their use in men with age-related low testosterone. — reported by Dawn, The Hindu and The Guardian.
  • Testosterone replacement therapy can lead to a reduction in sperm count. — reported by Dawn and The Guardian.
  • The Pentagon’s new initiative does not account for the reproductive health of female service members. — reported by The Intercept.
  • The Department of Veterans Affairs has previously struggled to manage hormone replacement therapy for veterans. — reported by The Intercept.
  • The Pentagon’s new initiative could lead to overprescription of hormone-replacement therapy to people who do not need it. — reported by The Intercept.
  • The cost of the testosterone screening programme is not clearly defined. — reported by The Intercept.
The Pentagon’s initiative has drawn criticism from medical experts and from opposition Democrats, who point to the inconsistency between the push for hormone therapy and Hegseth’s own ban on transgender service members, many of whom rely on hormone therapy. In Hegseth’s video, the ban on transgender troops in the US military was criticised by Democratic Congresswoman Summer Lee — "So now y'all support gender-affirming care?" — and Senator Tammy Duckworth added, "Sounds like gender-affirming care to me."

Context

Hegseth announced the policy in a video posted to X, titled the "High-T Department", saying troops must have the right hormone levels to operate at their "absolute best". The policy is the latest in a string of moves by the Trump administration to expand access to testosterone therapy, and the Pentagon said the screenings will be part of the annual health assessments already required for all service members.

Reuters noted that a federal judge, Ana Reyes, has ordered the administration to explain the discrepancy between the policy and the treatment of transgender troops. Judge Reyes is overseeing one of two lawsuits challenging the ban on transgender service members. In her order, she wrote that the military must maintain high mental and physical health standards, noting that Trump's own executive order argued that transgender troops do not meet those standards without routine medical care.