What did the Pentagon say about its testosterone screening guidance for troops aged 30 and older?

The Pentagon temporarily rescinded the draft clinical guidance to allow for updates, while saying interim guidance remains in effect. The memo had outlined mandatory screening paths for men and women during annual health assessments.

How was the testosterone screening policy supposed to work for men and women in the military?

Men aged 30 and older were to be screened with a questionnaire that could trigger a blood test and possible testosterone therapy. Women were to be screened through a questionnaire as well, with treatment tied to hormonal imbalance conditions and testosterone use limited to diagnoses with evidence of efficacy.

Why did the Pentagon's testosterone policy raise concern among doctors and experts?

Doctors said broad testosterone testing could lead to unnecessary or potentially harmful treatment. They also said there is little evidence that universal screening for low testosterone among military personnel would improve U.S. combat readiness.

Pentagon temporarily rescinds guidance on testosterone screening for US troops

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Summary

The Pentagon temporarily rescinded newly published clinical guidance for a mandatory testosterone deficiency screening policy for service members aged 30 and older in Washington on Thursday. The guidance had been posted on Wednesday and removed by Thursday, with interim guidance still in effect. It had set separate screening paths for men and women during annual health assessments and was intended to improve military readiness. U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced the screening mandate in July.

Key Facts

The draft document published on September 2, 2026, was temporarily rescinded to allow for updates, according to a U.S. official.
The guidance said men aged 30 and older would be screened through a questionnaire that could lead to a blood test and, if needed, testosterone hormone therapy.
Women would also be screened through a questionnaire, with treatment options for conditions related to hormonal imbalance, including testosterone use only for diagnoses with evidence of efficacy.
A Page Not Found banner appeared on Pentagon and Defense Health Agency websites after the memo and spokesperson Sean Parnell's statement were removed.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration plans to hold a meeting in mid-September with experts to discuss the medical use of testosterone.

By Reuters

Published Sep 4, 2026 1:50 am KST

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth arrives to greet Australia's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence Richard Marles on his arrival at the Pentagon, Wednesday, in Washington. AP-Yonhap

WASHINGTON — The Pentagon is temporarily rescinding recently published clinical guidance for a new, mandatory testosterone deficiency screening policy for service members aged 30 and older, a U.S. official told Reuters on Thursday.

On Wednesday, the Pentagon posted the "Clinical Guidance for Health and Human Performance Optimization" on its website. By Thursday, the memo and an accompanying statement from spokesperson Sean Parnell had been removed.

"The draft (document) published on September 2, 2026, has been temporarily rescinded to allow for updates," the official said, adding that interim guidance remains in effect.

The detailed clinical guidelines had laid out separate testosterone deficiency screening paths for men and women that were to happen during their annual health assessments.

The guidance was set to take effect immediately, and the Pentagon said it is aimed at improving military readiness by identifying and managing hormonal and energy-availability issues.

"PAGE NOT FOUND"

A "Page Not Found" banner appeared on websites for both the Pentagon and Defense Health Agency when clicking on the links for the memo and statement.

Wednesday's guidance said that men aged 30 and older would be screened through a questionnaire that could then trigger a blood test for testosterone levels and, if needed, testosterone hormone therapy.

Women would also be screened through a questionnaire, which could then move to treatment for conditions related to hormonal imbalance. Testosterone would be used in women only for one of the diagnoses for which there is evidence of efficacy, such as Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder, characterized by a distressing level of low sexual interest.

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who has promoted the use of testosterone, announced the screening mandate in July, raising questions among experts about whether there was a scientific basis for such a policy. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration plans to hold a meeting in mid-September of experts to discuss the medical use of testosterone.

Doctors have raised concerns that broad testosterone testing could lead to unnecessary or potentially harmful treatment, saying there is little evidence that universal screening for low testosterone among military personnel would improve U.S. combat readiness.

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