Pentagon orders mandatory testosterone screening for older troops

The Pentagon has issued new clinical guidance requiring mandatory testosterone deficiency screening for US military personnel aged 30 and older, a move officials linked to maintaining combat readiness. The Defence Health Agency released the guidance on September 17, establishing common screening and treatment procedures for male service members under a July directive that covers both active-duty and reserve personnel. The initiative aims to identify and treat clinically diagnosed deficiencies, not to enhance performance. "The Department remains focused on building and maintaining a ready, lethal fighting force prepared to dominate the battlefield and achieve peace through strength," the chief Pentagon spokesman said in a statement. However, the clinical document draws a clear line between treatment and enhancement. "Guidance premised on performance enhancement rather than on treatment of a diagnosed deficiency is not supportable on the current evidence," it states. Screening begins with a structured assessment of symptoms and risk factors. Blood testing follows only when that assessment is positive or a listed risk factor is present.