The Pentagon has announced a new plan to screen service members for low testosterone. The move is part of an effort to keep troops strong, resilient, and capable. According to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, the testing will be done annually as part of health assessments for active-duty, National Guard, and Reserve members aged 30 and older. Younger troops can opt into the testing.

Why Test for Low Testosterone?

Medical guidelines generally advise against routine testosterone testing in the general male population. However, service members are not an average-risk population. Military service exposes men to a combination of factors that are each independently linked to low testosterone, including chronic sleep deprivation, repeated physical stress, psychological stress, and sometimes brain injury.

Dr. Joshua Calvert, a urologist who treats veterans, says that military service creates a perfect storm for testosterone suppression. The effects can appear surprisingly quickly, with one study showing that testosterone fell 46% after just five days of intensive field training. Sleep loss, brain and testicular injuries, and PTSD can also contribute to low testosterone.

Benefits of Baseline Testing

Baseline testing can help identify low testosterone levels early on, allowing for timely intervention. It can also provide a point of comparison for physicians treating veterans for fatigue, depression, low libido, erectile dysfunction, or loss of muscle mass. Without an earlier measurement, physicians have no way to know whether today’s hormone levels represent a lifelong norm or a significant decline caused by years of military service.

The Pentagon’s new policy aims to raise awareness about testosterone levels while troops are serving and could become even more valuable after discharge. The details of how abnormal results will be evaluated and what follow-up will be available after separation have not yet been determined.

Original reporting: El Paso News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.