Hegseth: Troops Over 30 to Get Annual Testosterone Screenings

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has directed the Pentagon to begin annual testosterone deficiency screenings for service members aged 30 and older, with optional testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) for those flagged. The move plugs directly into a fast-growing consumer TRT market and could reshape demand assumptions for the companies selling it.

What Hegseth actually announced

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced Wednesday the Pentagon will require service members over the age of 30 to be screened for testosterone deficiency annually. If they are recommended for treatment, they may choose to receive testosterone replacement therapy.

The screening will be added as part of war fighters’ periodic health assessment, and troops under 30 can voluntarily choose to get the test. Hegseth branded the initiative the “High-T Department of War” in a video posted to X.

How big is the actual medical need

Roughly 5.6 percent of men between 30 and 79 have testosterone deficiency, which can cause muscle loss, fatigue, weight gain and sexual dysfunction. It is also linked to other serious health conditions including diabetes, cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis and depression.

Some clinicians are pushing back. Dr. Peter J. Snyder, who led major NIH-funded testosterone trials in older men, told Newsweek that low testosterone was actually very rare, even up to age 79, with only a 2 percent incidence rate, meaning routine screening is never recommended. Screening is recommended only for symptoms suggestive of low testosterone.

The American Urological Association estimates up to a third of men who are put on testosterone therapy do not meet the criteria for a medical diagnosis. Up to a third of men who are put on testosterone therapy do not meet the criteria for a medical diagnosis.

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The regulatory tailwind for TRT

In April, the Food and Drug Administration moved to expand access to TRT after decades of recommending it only be prescribed to men with medical issues affecting testosterone production. Combined with a Pentagon-wide annual screen, the addressable prescription pool for TRT products just widened.

Service members have long had access to testosterone testing and replacement therapy through Tricare, the health insurance program for military personnel and their families. But the screenings have never been part of the military’s annual health assessments.

Options market and stocks to watch

HIMS: Hims & Hers has built a direct-to-consumer TRT and men’s health funnel. Watch for flow reacting to any read-through on TRT demand and prescription volume.

LLY: Eli Lilly’s men’s health and endocrinology footprint makes it a name to watch as hormone therapy expands beyond strict medical indications.

PFE: Pfizer has legacy exposure to testosterone franchises and generics; watch for whether broader screening reignites the category.

ABBV: AbbVie owns AndroGel, historically the largest branded TRT product. Any pickup in diagnosis rates flows here first.

LH: Labcorp handles high-volume clinical testing. A mandatory annual military screen adds testing volume, worth watching alongside other policy-driven healthcare news.

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