Pentagon updates guidance on low testosterone testing for males

The Department of Defense on Thursday released clinical guidelines for testing and treating low testosterone in male service members.

The initiative, first announced in a July memo by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, is part of the agency’s Warfighter Performance Optimization program, which Hegseth announced in May.

On Sept. 3, the Pentagon temporarily rescinded its published clinical guidance for a new, mandatory testosterone-deficiency screening policy, with an official telling Reuters, “The draft [document] published on September 2, 2026, has been temporarily rescinded to allow for updates.”

The Defense Health Agency’s latest guideline indicates that every male service member over 30 — and some under that age, if they show symptoms of low testosterone and request testing — should be tested at Periodic Health Assessments, or PHAs.

According to the new document’s executive summary, symptoms of low testosterone include “reduced libido, loss of spontaneous morning erections, erectile dysfunction, diminished energy and physical performance, impaired concentration, reduced muscle mass, and depressed mood.”

It also notes that those symptoms can “overlap substantially with the effects of sleep restriction, caloric deficit, psychological stress, mild traumatic brain injury, and mood disorders, all of which are prevalent in the operational population.”

Hegseth’s July memo indicated all service members would undergo testosterone testing, but the recent announcement clarified that only men would be required to do so. Clinical guidance for women is forthcoming, according to a department release.

But the Pentagon has not publicly clarified whether women service members would be tested for estrogen or testosterone therapy, the Associated Press reported.

Clinical research supports the effectiveness of testosterone therapy in older men, particularly with hypogonadism, a condition in which the body is incapable of producing adequate testosterone. However, the benefits for younger men and men who are aging normally are not as clear. There are also potential long-term risks such as infertility.