By Idrees Ali and Julie Steenhuysen
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"The draft (document) published on September 2, 2026, has been temporarily rescinded to allow for updates," the official said, adding that interim guidance remains in effect.
Reuters was first to report the guidance being rescinded.
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.
"PAGE NOT FOUND"
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 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 and could then move to treatment for conditions related to hormonal imbalance that can manifest as Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport, or REDs. Testosterone hormone therapy is advised only for Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder, which is 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 of experts in mid-September to discuss the medical use of testosterone.
DOCTORS RAISE CONCERNS
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.
Neither the American Urological Association nor the Endocrine Society recommends routine screening for low testosterone.
Dr. Helen Bernie, an expert in male sexual and reproductive medicine at Indiana University, said she is in favor of the screening program because it could identify men with significant underlying health issues. Of the guidance that the Pentagon issued on Wednesday and later took down, she said she was pleased it included safeguards such as repeat testing, evaluation for reversible causes and treatment of those causes, as well as fertility counseling.
Dr. Jason Goldman, an internal medicine physician and immediate past president of the American College of Physicians, said testosterone replacement is useful when people are appropriately tested for conditions in which the body fails to produce enough of the hormone.
But Goldman said there is a risk of overtreatment and harm. He said testosterone replacement can worsen conditions such as sleep apnea, raise red blood cell counts, increase the risk of heart problems, raise the risk of infertility and exacerbate undiagnosed prostate cancer.
He said there is no evidence that widespread screening of military members will achieve a positive result.
"Taking testosterone is not going to make you more manly, more strong, or a more robust individual. That's just not how it works," Goldman said. "It's just bad policy all around."
(Reporting by Idrees Ali; Additional reporting by Julie Steenhuysen and Nancy Lapid; Editing by Caroline Humer, Mark Porter and Rod Nickel)
