Military Medics' Insight Into Providing Women's Health Care in Deployed Settings

Abstract

Although the advancement of women in the military continues to make strides-it is clear the availability of quality women's health care that women feel comfortable accessing may be its defining limitation. Medics are an excellent conduit for reinforcing these healthy messages and providing first-line treatment to deployed military women.

Genitourinary infections in Australian servicewomen

“…However, variations were expected due to differences in the methods and contexts of data collection in each of these studies. Compared with the self‐reported data in this study, lower prevalence rates were found when medical encounter surveillance data was used in the U.S. military study, 8 which would be expected given that not all servicewomen will choose to seek or have had access to medical care in some contexts 6,9,10,14,20 . In addition, previous studies have also focused on prevalence in defined time periods, such as periods of deployment 21 .…”

“…Compared with the self-reported data in this study, lower prevalence rates were found when medical encounter surveillance data was used in the U.S. military study, 8 which would be expected given that not all servicewomen will choose to seek or have had access to medical care in some contexts. 6,9,10,14,20 In addition, previous studies have also focused on prevalence in defined time periods, such as periods of deployment. 21 Regardless, the available evidence consistently highlights that genitourinary infections are common in servicewomen, affecting at least one-third during active-duty service, thus warranting consideration of prevention and management strategies.…”

“…A predeployment women's health education program was found to be well‐accepted and effective at reducing diagnoses of genitourinary infections, 22 and self‐diagnosis and management kits have been reported to be a discreet, efficient, and user‐friendly option for diagnosis and early management of UTI in deployed settings 23 . Additional education and training of military medics, 14 commanding officers, 21 and servicewomen 7 regarding common female genitourinary health issues and management has also been recommended to promote a culture of understanding and access to timely and relevant support. Equitable access across the Defense organization and sustainable approaches to education, training, and resources also need to be considered and evaluated 22 .…”

“…Given the high prevalence of genitourinary infections in female military personnel, the ability to prevent and manage symptoms and infections within occupational settings, particularly austere deployed settings, is important. Environmental (e.g., sanitation, climate), equipment (e.g., uniform fabric and design) and organizational (e.g., leadership, access to predeployment education) factors have all been identified to influence the behaviors servicewomen engage in to manage their genitourinary health, with the majority of studies focused on deployed settings 10,12–14 …”

“…Environmental (e.g., sanitation, climate), equipment (e.g., uniform fabric and design) and organizational (e.g., leadership, access to predeployment education) factors have all been identified to influence the behaviors servicewomen engage in to manage their genitourinary health, with the majority of studies focused on deployed settings. 10,[12][13][14] Whilst genitourinary infections have been shown to be common in servicewomen, most studies have been limited to the U.S. Armed Forces and as noted above, have strongly focused on the prevalence and experiences of servicewomen during deployment. Addressing the resulting gaps in knowledge, the aim of this study was to determine the prevalence, risk factors, and prevention and management approaches for genitourinary infections in women serving in the Australian Defense Force (ADF), being the Royal Australian Navy, Australian Army, and Royal Australian Air Force.…”