The Experiences of U.S. Army Primary Care Providers Meeting Sexual Health Care Needs During Post-Vietnam Deployments
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of U.S. Army primary care providers meeting sexual health care needs during post-Vietnam deployments and associated ethical issues providing care in an atmosphere that forbids sexual contact. As the Army has sought to add the role of advanced practice nurses to deployments, they will potentially find themselves faced with providing sexual health care in the field. A phenomenological approach was used in this study for the purpose of understanding, interpreting, and describing provider experiences during deployment. Purposeful sampling was used and dialogical engagements were conducted with six U.S. Army primary care providers who had served in post-Vietnam deployments. The Parse method was adapted to synthesize 21 core concepts and four structures that enabled the researchers to describe the experiences of the providers. The four structures are: provider experiences, soldier experiences, command experiences, and ethical experiences. Recommendations for further areas of research include rates of STI and pregnancy, feminine hygiene needs in the field, suppression of sexuality in the field, and ethical decision making among military providers.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 2002
- Accession Number
- ADA421312
Entities
People
- Dominic T. Weskamp
- Richard Matthew
Organizations
- Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences