Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's initiative to screen U.S. service members for testosterone levels may have an unintended medical consequence for male troops, according to two medical experts who spoke with The Intercept.

Dr. Adrian Dobs, a professor of medicine and oncology at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, cautioned that widespread testosterone supplementation triggered by the screening program could lead to reduced fertility among service members. Testosterone replacement therapy is an established treatment for clinically diagnosed hypogonadism, but endocrinologists have long debated its appropriateness for men with normal or borderline levels—precisely the population a mass screening program would capture.

"We're sort of creating a dependency on testosterone," Dobs said. "Men who take testosterone will have a reduction in their sperm counts."

Hegseth announced the policy last week, mandating annual testosterone screening for all service members over the age of 30. Service members under 30 may voluntarily undergo screening as well. Hegseth described his vision of transforming the Defense Department into what he called the "High-T Department of War," as reported by NBC News. The mandate would expand the Pentagon's periodic health assessment framework—currently focused on readiness metrics like fitness, vision, and hearing—into routine endocrine screening, a category not previously included in standard military medical protocols.

The policy is already encountering legal scrutiny. A federal judge on Wednesday ordered the Trump administration to explain how the new testing mandate reconciles with its existing prohibition on hormone treatment for transgender service members, according to the Associated Press.

Medical professionals have raised concerns about the reliability of mandatory screening. Dr. Alvin Matsumoto, a professor emeritus at the University of Washington School of Medicine, noted that testosterone levels fluctuate significantly based on factors such as time of day and recent meals, which could produce inconsistent test results.

The Intercept's report states that this "creates a risk under a program that will routinely screen otherwise healthy troops and make testosterone therapy available to those subsequently diagnosed with a deficiency."

Experts warn that the policy would likely result in service members receiving testosterone replacement therapy without genuine medical need.

"Here we have men who are in their prime of reproduction, and we're causing a drop in their sperm counts when there really may not be sufficient benefit," Dobs said.