Pentagon pauses testosterone testing guidelines sought by Hegseth

The Pentagon pulled new guidelines for testosterone testing from its websites only one day after publishing them, leaving temporary rules in place while the document undergoes revisions.

The Defense Department published its Clinical Guidance for Health and Human Performance Optimization on Sept. 2. The document outlined how to apply a new policy for detecting testosterone deficiency during medical evaluations of active-duty and reserve personnel aged 30 and older.

By the following day, the memorandum and a statement from Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell had disappeared from the Defense Department and Defense Health Agency websites. Their links led to error pages. A U.S. official confirmed to Reuters that the draft had been temporarily withdrawn for updates and said the interim guidelines remained in force.

The withdrawal does not currently amount to cancellation. The department is retaining the provisional framework while it reviews procedures for assessing possible hormonal problems.

Under the withdrawn guidance, men aged 30 and older would first complete a questionnaire during a medical evaluation. Their answers could lead health professionals to order a blood test. If a deficiency and a clinical indication were found, the protocol allowed for possible testosterone replacement therapy. Men under 30 could be tested when symptoms or other clinical signs justified an assessment.

For women, the questionnaire focused on potential hormone and energy-availability problems, including relative energy deficiency in sport, or RED-S. The guidance also allowed for testosterone treatment for women with hypoactive sexual desire disorder when the condition caused substantial clinical distress. The policy had drawn questions since Hegseth announced the program in July, with the stated goal of identifying and treating problems.