Pete Hegseth ordered an annual testosterone-deficiency screening for active-duty and reserve service members aged 30 and older this week under the Pete Hegseth military testosterone policy. He said the screening is meant to help maintain military readiness, with advice on treatment and voluntary use for soldiers.
Five of six men’s health experts contacted by said they were puzzled by the announcement and worried it could lead to unnecessary or harmful treatment. Four of the six doctors said there was no solid evidence that screening all military personnel aged 30 and older would improve readiness for combat.
Kevin McVary on low T evidence
Kevin McVary, a urologist on the medical advisory board of Rugiet, said: “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”. His point goes to the core problem with turning a symptom-based treatment approach into routine screening for large numbers of service members.
The American Urological Association and the Endocrine Society advise testosterone supplementation only for patients with confirmed testosterone deficiency and symptoms such as reduced libido, erectile dysfunction, fatigue, decreased muscle mass and low bone density. Testosterone levels naturally decline with age, starting around age 30, but the medical guidance cited by doctors still ties treatment to symptoms, not age alone.
Dr Haleem Mohammed and age 30
Dr Haleem Mohammed, chief medical officer of Gameday Health, said age 30 itself is not an appropriate point for screening. He added: “There is a population-level decline of 1% per year after ages 30-40 that accelerates as you get older”.
That age threshold is the part service members now have to watch closely. The order sweeps in both active-duty and reserve troops once they reach 30, which turns a broad annual test into a recurring medical gate for a large group, even though the doctors cited in the story did not see evidence that this approach would improve combat readiness.
Ugis Gruntmanis on data
Dr Ugis Gruntmanis, an endocrinologist at Dartmouth Hitchcock medical center, said “the new mandate provides an opportunity to collect data on younger men” and added that “widespread implementation of screening without preliminary study data would be putting the carriage before the horse”. His view points to the immediate gap in the policy: Hegseth has set the screening order, but the study data that would justify a blanket annual program has not been laid out in the announcement.
The Pentagon declined to comment beyond its brief official statement. For troops aged 30 and older, the practical next step is an annual screening that could lead to advice on treatment, but the doctors quoted here say the science has not yet caught up with the scope of the order.
