Doctors question evidence behind Pentagon plan for testosterone screening
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has mandated annual testosterone screening for military personnel over 30, citing readiness concerns. Medical experts have criticized the move, warning of potential health risks and a lack of scientific evidence supporting the policy's efficacy.
Why it matters
It raises significant questions about the intersection of political policy-making and evidence-based medical practice within the U.S. military.
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth this week ordered annual testosterone-deficiency screening for active-duty and reserve service members age 30 and older, which he says will help to maintain military readiness.
But many medical professionals warn it might do nothing of the sort and instead could increase service members' risk ofinfertility or other consequences if testosterone is prescribed inappropriately.
The mandate is one of several recent healthcare policy changes implemented by Hegseth and other Trump administration cabinet officers that have sparked debate among experts and raised questions about what scientific basis, if any, supports them.
Hegseth has also reversed the military's long-standing flu vaccine mandate, a decision that was walked back after a flu outbreak, while the Department of Health and Human Services removed 17 members from its vaccine advisory panel and altered its vaccine recommendations.
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