By Idrees Ali
WASHINGTON, Sept 3 (Reuters) – The Pentagon is temporarily rescinding recently published clinical guidance for a new, mandatory testosterone deficiency screening policy for service members aged 30 and older, a U.S. official told Reuters on Thursday.
On Wednesday, the Pentagon posted the “Clinical Guidance for Health and Human Performance Optimization” on its website. By Thursday, the memo and an accompanying statement from spokesperson Sean Parnell had been removed.
“The draft (document) published on September 2, 2026, has been temporarily rescinded to allow for updates,” the official said, adding that interim guidance remains in effect.
The detailed clinical guidelines had laid out separate testosterone deficiency screening paths for men and women that were to happen during their annual health assessments.
The guidance was set to take effect immediately, and the Pentagon said it is aimed at improving military readiness by identifying and managing hormonal and energy-availability issues.
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A “Page Not Found” banner appeared on websites for both the Pentagon and Defense Health Agency when clicking on the links for the memo and statement.
Wednesday’s guidance said that men aged 30 and older would be screened through a questionnaire that could then trigger a blood test for testosterone levels and, if needed, testosterone hormone therapy.
Women would also be screened through a questionnaire, which could then move to treatment for conditions related to hormonal imbalance. Testosterone would be used in women only for one of the diagnoses for which there is evidence of efficacy, such as Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder, characterized by a distressing level of low sexual interest.
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who has promoted the use of testosterone, announced the screening mandate in July, raising questions among experts about whether there was a scientific basis for such a policy. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration plans to hold a meeting in mid-September of experts to discuss the medical use of testosterone.
Doctors have raised concerns that broad testosterone testing could lead to unnecessary or potentially harmful treatment, saying there is little evidence that universal screening for low testosterone among military personnel would improve U.S. combat readiness.
(Reporting by Idrees Ali; Editing by Caroline Humer, Mark Porter, Rod Nickel)
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