Doctors Question Evidence Behind Pentagon Plan for Testosterone Screening

Doctors are questioning the evidence behind the Pentagon’s plan to screen military members—especially men over age 30—for “testosterone deficiency.” They warn that routine blood testing can produce false positives because testosterone naturally fluctuates with age, stress, sleep, and time of day. Experts say treatment should be tied to both symptoms and confirmed deficiency, not screening alone. Critics also raise concerns about unnecessary testosterone replacement therapy, which can carry side effects and may affect fertility, and they note the Pentagon has offered limited details on how results will be handled.