U.S. Defense Secretary Hegseth orders annual testosterone screening for troops 30+

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced a new Pentagon policy that will require active‑duty, National Guard and Reserve service members aged 30 and older to undergo annual testosterone testing as part of their routine medical assessments; personnel under 30 may opt in voluntarily. The initiative is promoted as a way to keep soldiers “strong, resilient and capable,” citing the stressors of military service that can suppress hormone levels.

A group of Democratic senators, including Elizabeth Warren, Mazie Hirono and Mark Kelly, sent a letter demanding scientific justification, cost estimates and risk assessments for the program. Critics argue there is no clear link between testosterone levels and combat performance and warn that widespread screening could lead to unnecessary hormone replacement therapy, which carries risks such as heart, kidney and bone problems.

Medical experts and some veterans have expressed mixed views. A 2022 Hone Health survey of 400 service members with low testosterone showed 86 % favored testing, while endocrinologists note that testosterone levels naturally decline with age and that treatment is appropriate only for clinically diagnosed hypogonadism.

Federal Judge Ana Reyes, overseeing a case challenging the Trump administration’s transgender military ban, has ordered the Department of Defense to explain how the testosterone‑replacement program compares with gender‑affirming care and to address its medical and logistical implications.