U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered annual testosterone-deficiency screening for active duty and reserve military personnel aged 30 and above, saying the policy is aimed at improving combat readiness, resilience and overall performance.
However, many medical experts argue there is little scientific evidence to support universal screening and warn it could result in unnecessary testosterone treatment, increasing the risk of infertility, heart rhythm problems, bone fractures and other health complications.
The new directive is among several healthcare policy changes under the Trump administration that have drawn scrutiny from health experts.
Hegseth said the testing will be voluntary and accompanied by medical counselling to help service members decide whether treatment is appropriate. He said the goal is to ensure troops have the right hormone levels to perform at their best.
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Four of six specialists interviewed by Reuters said there is no strong evidence that routine testosterone screening for all military personnel over 30 would improve combat readiness.
“We hear from patients that when you treat low T, things like cognitive alertness and stamina improve. But the evidence is not concrete, and it comes from patients who were treated because they were symptomatic,” said Dr. Kevin McVary.
Current medical guidelines recommend testosterone therapy only for patients with confirmed deficiency and symptoms such as fatigue, low libido, erectile dysfunction and reduced muscle mass.
Experts also cautioned that testosterone therapy can significantly affect fertility.
“Many in our armed forces are young men who are not done having their families,” McVary said. “If you just dole out the testosterone, the testes will shrink. And you can’t reliably count on them coming back.”
Hegseth said the screening will also help address Operator Syndrome, a condition affecting some special forces personnel. But researchers noted that elite operators are not representative of the broader military population.
“These operators are at an extreme end of a spectrum,” said Dr. B. Christopher Frueh.
Some experts believe broader testing could still be beneficial if combined with proper medical evaluation, as low testosterone may stem from treatable issues such as obesity, poor sleep or diet rather than requiring hormone replacement.
“Testosterone is one of the most useful blood tests we have to gauge health in men
“Broader screening would identify many men with reversible causes and some with true deficiency. Both groups would benefit from clinician-guided care, whether that means correcting reversible causes or starting treatment when it is truly warranted.” Said Dr. Haleem Mohammed.
Reuters
