Military to add testosterone testing for some troops
Pete Hegseth said troops 30 and older will be screened annually, with younger service members able to request testing.
By Tom Brennan · Health & Medicine Correspondent
3 min read
The U.S. military will begin checking testosterone levels for service members age 30 and older during annual health assessments, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Wednesday. The change could lead military clinicians to recommend testosterone replacement therapy for troops who meet medical criteria.
Hegseth announced the screening program in a video posted to X, saying the testing would be conducted under military medical supervision as part of the periodic health assessment that service members already receive. He said troops younger than 30 may choose to have their testosterone levels tested as well.
Hegseth said any treatment decision would remain with the individual service member if medical staff recommend therapy. He described the effort as a health and readiness measure, saying it was meant to support natural capability, longevity and performance rather than provide artificial enhancement.
In the video, Hegseth framed the program as an investment in service members and said the department has a duty to look for ways to improve health and performance. He said he was authorizing a screening program for testosterone deficiency to help ensure troops have levels needed to perform at their best.
The Defense Department declined to answer NBC News questions about whether female service members would receive estrogen screenings or whether troops could face consequences for declining recommended testosterone therapy. The department referred NBC News to Hegseth’s video.
Part of a broader hormone therapy push
The policy comes as Trump administration health officials have backed wider access to testosterone replacement therapy. The Department of Health and Human Services, led by Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., proposed earlier this month to ease restrictions on the treatment, according to NBC News.
An FDA panel in December called for regulatory changes that would make testosterone therapy more accessible, NBC News reported. Kennedy has previously said on YouTube that he was using testosterone replacements that he described as appropriate for his age.
Testosterone levels in men commonly begin to decline in their 30s or 40s. When levels drop below certain thresholds, low testosterone can be associated with health problems including reduced bone density and erectile dysfunction.
Since 2015, testosterone replacement therapies have carried warning labels and have been limited to men who have both low testosterone and a related medical condition. NBC News reported that earlier research had linked the treatment to strokes, heart attacks and death, while a 2023 study known as the TRAVERSE trial found no increased risk of heart attacks and strokes from testosterone replacement therapy.
Trump administration health officials have also promoted possible benefits of hormone replacement therapy for women. The FDA last year removed black box warnings on menopause hormone therapies, according to NBC News.
This story draws on original reporting from NBC News.