Pete Hegseth's Pentagon Withdraws Earlier Testosterone Guidelines for Women, Issues Narrower Male-Focused Update

As scrutiny over Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s widely unpopular leadership of the military heightens with impeachment proceedings by Republican Rep.Thomas Massie, the Pentagon has abruptly reissued clinical guidelines for its mandatory testosterone screening program, narrowing the scope to focus exclusively on male active-duty and reserve service members.

The updated framework completely omits previous hormone guidance and testing protocols for female troops.

“This initiative, it’s not about artificial enhancement; it’s about restoring and optimizing your natural capability, protecting your longevity, and ensuring you have the biological foundation required to sustain the fight,” Hegseth said on July 15.

On September 3, however, a Pentagon official told ABC News that the guidance had been “temporarily rescinded to allow for updates.”

Confirming that, Hegseth’s senior adviser and former attorney Tim Parlatore told CNN the guidelines had initially been posted “inadvertently” before being approved for release.

“So, we needed to pull that back because we need a lot more input to make sure that the information on that reflected the current science,” Parlatore said, “as opposed to certain antiquated protocols.”

Screening remains mandatory for male service members aged 30 and older during routine health assessments. Testing is voluntary for male troops under 30.

Service members must be evaluated while fasting and cannot be tested within 30 days of recovering from an illness.

If a deficiency is identified, service members may voluntarily pursue Testosterone Replacement Therapy.

To continue treatment while deployed, service members must undergo a follow-up assessment within four to six weeks to demonstrate clinical stability and target testosterone levels between 300–600 ng/dL. Stable members are deployable without a waiver depending on the formulation.

The original version of the guidelines, introduced on September 2, instructed clinicians to screen female service members for conditions like low-energy availability using menstrual cycle and fatigue questionnaires.

It also detailed off-label testosterone prescriptions for postmenopausal women. The Pentagon abruptly pulled those documents 24 hours later. Officials later stated the female-inclusive provisions were posted "inadvertently" without final approval and relied on antiquated protocols.

The finalized policy, titled "Clinical Guidance for Testosterone Deficiency in the Male Service Member," constitutes a strict shift to standardized care solely for male hormone optimization.

Critics, civil rights organizations and several lawmakers have frequently leveled allegations of misogyny against Hegseth, focusing on his policies, public remarks and past statements regarding the role of women in the armed forces.

“The Secretary of War’s obsession with testosterone reveals the anxieties he harbors about himself and the military he leads,” wrote The Intercept’s Nick Turse.