The Pentagon has abruptly rescinded a new testosterone screening policy for US military personnel just one day after publishing it, offering no detailed explanation for the reversal. The clinical guidance document, released on September 2, 2026, was removed from public view the following day, along with an accompanying statement from spokesperson Sean Parnell.
The move follows Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s July announcement that the US military would introduce mandatory testosterone screening for service members. The document, titled “Clinical Guidance for Health and Human Performance Optimization,” laid out the framework for the program before disappearing.
In a statement, the Pentagon said the guidance had been temporarily withdrawn on September 3 to allow for updates. “The Department remains committed to addressing hormone deficiencies, protecting the long-term health of its Service members, and enabling peak operational performance,” the statement said. An interim guidance remains in effect, and the “final clinical guidance will be issued shortly.”
The Pentagon declined to specify what was being changed or why the revision was needed so soon after publication.
What the Withdrawn Guidelines Proposed
Under the rescinded guidelines, men aged 30 and older would have been screened through a questionnaire that could prompt a blood test for testosterone levels and, if warranted, testosterone hormone therapy. Women were also set to be screened via questionnaire, potentially leading to treatment for hormonal imbalances.
Hegseth had framed the effort as a way to “restore and optimize” the capabilities of military members, protect their “longevity,” and ensure they had “the biological foundation required to sustain the fight.”
Health Experts Question the Medical Basis
Medical specialists have criticized the plan as potentially harmful. Neither the Endocrine Society nor the American Urological Association supports routine screening for low testosterone in the general population.
Dr. Jason Goldman, an internal medicine physician and immediate past president of the American College of Physicians, dismissed the underlying premise. “Taking testosterone is not going to make you more manly, more strong, or a more robust individual. That’s just not how it works,” he said. “It’s just bad policy all around.”
Bradley Anawalt, chief of medicine at the University of Washington Medical Center and a specialist in endocrinology and men’s health, outlined the evidence-based case against population-level screening. “We’re turning the clock back on rational health care,” he said, citing concerns about ethics, health consequences, unnecessary evaluations, and incorrect diagnoses that could lead to inappropriate prescriptions.
The risks associated with conventional testosterone replacement therapy include decreased fertility, elevated red blood cell counts, acne, increased prostate size, and sleep apnea. Higher doses have been linked to greater risks of cardiovascular disease and prostate cancer. An interim guidance remains active while the Pentagon prepares a revised final version.
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Image: arstechnica.com
