Pentagon Temporarily Withdraws Guidance on Testosterone Testing for Service Members Over 30

The U.S. Department of Defense has temporarily withdrawn clinical guidance that required testosterone-level testing for active-duty and reserve service members aged 30 and older. The document, initially reported on Wednesday by CBS News and Reuters, was removed Thursday from the websites of the Department of Defense and the Defense Health Agency.

A defense official told The Independent that the withdrawal is temporary and is intended to update the document. The final version is expected to be published soon, while interim guidance on screening for testosterone deficiency remains in effect as of September 3.

The rules were introduced less than two months after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced that testosterone testing would become part of routine medical evaluations. Service members diagnosed with hypogonadism were to receive further examinations and, if necessary, treatment, without hormone replacement therapy being mandatory.

The document considered testosterone an important indicator of combat readiness, physical strength, bone health, physical fitness and cardiovascular health. Service members under 30 could voluntarily request testing. Separate evaluations based on symptoms were предусмотрed for women over 35. Hegseth said the measure was intended to restore natural capabilities and protect service members’ health as part of broader policies concerning physical fitness and the military’s image}.

Oops