GoKawiilJAMA study: Army's mandatory low-T screening could flag 25% of soldiers
A study published in JAMA found that mandatory testosterone screening ordered by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth could flag up to a quarter of active-duty Army members as having low testosterone, even though the true prevalence of the condition is likely far lower. Researchers from Pennington Biomedical Research Center and the US Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine analyzed blood samples from 479 male soldiers across five Army installations, collected between August 2024 and January 2026.
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The findings support warnings from the Endocrine Society and the American Urological Association that blanket testosterone screening in asymptomatic men produces many false positives, which could lead to unnecessary follow-up testing and treatment. Overtreatment with testosterone therapy carries risks including infertility, suggesting the Pentagon's policy could expose many healthy service members to avoidable medical harm. The Pentagon has nonetheless proceeded with clinical guidance for the program despite these expert objections.
- A JAMA study estimates up to 25% of active-duty Army members could get a low-testosterone result from mandatory screening.
- Medical groups including the Endocrine Society and AUA oppose blanket testosterone screening due to risk of false positives and overtreatment.
- The Pentagon issued clinical guidance for the screening program in September despite these objections.
Source: arstechnica.com, 2026-10-15
Published there as: “Hegseth’s dubious low-T screening may flag up to 25 percent of the Army”
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