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The Director of the Defense Health Agency on September 2, 2026, issued new clinical guidance to the Military Departments and medical care providers that takes immediate effect, setting standardized hormone screening and treatment protocols across the enterprise. The move follows a July 15, 2026, directive from the Secretary of War that mandates testosterone deficiency screenings for all service members aged 30 and older during Periodic Health Assessments, with optional screenings for those under 30.
The guidance addresses male testosterone deficiency and female hormonal optimization, creates uniform screening and treatment pathways, underscores the availability of clinical training for all primary care providers, and assigns responsibility for compliance.
The initiative is intended to identify and treat suboptimal hormone levels to support warfighter health, performance, and overall force readiness.
The “Clinical Guidance for Health and Human Performance Optimization” memorandum is available at https://www.dha.mil/Reference-Library/d/h/a/DHA-IPM-26-007-Clinical-Guidance-for-Health-and-Human-Performance-Optimization. The “Health and Human Performance Optimization to Enhance Military Readiness” memorandum is available at https://media.defense.gov/2026/Jul/15/2003961654/-1/-1/1/HEALTH%20AND%20HUMAN%20PERFORMANCE%20OPTIMIZATION%20TO%20ENHANCE%20MILITARY%20READINESS%20OSD004430-26%20RES%20FINAL.PDF. The “Warfighter Performance Optimization – Total Force Fitness” memorandum is available at https://media.defense.gov/2026/Jul/15/2003961653/-1/-1/1/WARFIGHTER%20PERFORMANCE%20OPTIMIZATION%20-%20TOTAL%20FORCE%20FITNESS%20OSD014355-25%20RES%20FINAL.PDF.
