The Pentagon temporarily rescinded newly released clinical guidance Thursday for mandatory testosterone-deficiency screening of service members aged 30 and older, saying the document is being updated while interim guidance remains in effect.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
The Pentagon has temporarily withdrawn newly published clinical guidance that would establish mandatory testosterone-deficiency screening for service members aged 30 and older, removing the policy from government websites just one day after it was released.
A U.S. official said Thursday that the guidance had been pulled so revisions could be made.
“The draft (document) published on September 2, 2026, has been temporarily rescinded to allow for updates,” the official said, adding that interim guidance remains in effect.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 Pentagon had posted the “Clinical Guidance for Health and Human Performance Optimization” on Wednesday along with a statement from spokesperson Sean Parnell.
By Thursday, both had disappeared.
Links that previously directed users to the guidance and accompanying announcement instead displayed “Page Not Found” on Pentagon and Defense Health Agency websites.
The department did not indicate what portions of the document require modification or when an updated version will be released.
Wednesday’s guidance had been scheduled to take effect immediately and outlined separate screening procedures for male and female service members as part of their annual health assessments.
The Pentagon said the policy was intended to improve military readiness by identifying and managing hormonal deficiencies and problems involving energy availability.
For male service members aged 30 and older, the proposed process would have begun with a questionnaire designed to identify possible symptoms of testosterone deficiency.
Answers indicating a potential deficiency could lead to laboratory testing of testosterone levels.
Service members whose evaluations indicated a clinical need could then be considered for testosterone hormone therapy.
The guidance established a different pathway for women.
Female service members would also complete a questionnaire intended to identify possible hormonal issues, followed where appropriate by additional evaluation and treatment for conditions associated with hormonal imbalance.
Testosterone treatment for women would have been limited to diagnoses for which evidence supports its effectiveness.
One example identified in the guidance was Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder, a condition characterized by persistently low sexual interest that causes significant distress.
The policy represented an effort to incorporate hormonal health more systematically into the military’s annual medical assessments rather than waiting for service members to seek treatment individually after symptoms developed.
Its abrupt withdrawal one day after publication leaves the final shape of that initiative uncertain.
The Pentagon has not abandoned the broader policy, according to the U.S. official, but has instead temporarily rescinded the Sept. 2 draft while changes are made.
Until a revised version is issued, existing interim guidance will continue governing the military’s approach to hormonal and health-performance concerns.
The removal means the detailed screening protocols released Wednesday — including the planned questionnaires, possible blood testing for men and specified treatment pathways for both sexes — are not currently moving forward under that document.
The Pentagon has not yet disclosed when the updated clinical guidance will return or whether the mandatory screening requirements for service members 30 and older will change before the policy is reissued.
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