US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced on Wednesday that the Pentagon will begin screening male service members aged 30 and older for testosterone deficiency. This new mandate requires annual testing during yearly health assessments to ensure troops have the right testosterone levels to operate at their absolute best and perform under optimal conditions.
If a deficiency is identified, the military will recommend hormone therapy. Hegseth clarified that receiving testosterone replacement therapy will be an elective decision left to the individual service members.
Hegseth stated the initiative is not about artificial enhancement, noting that service members have faced scrutiny in recent years for using testosterone and similar substances to boost performance. While proponents of Robert F. Kennedy's "Make America Healthy Again" movement advocate for testosterone to build muscle, look younger, and maintain mental sharpness, such uses are generally not accepted by most medical experts.
Despite the mandate for annual screening, Hegseth has not specified what particular disease the screenings are meant to catch.