Women in War: Operational Issues
Abstract
The United States Armed Forces is an all volunteer force comprised of male and female troops with women accounting for 20% of force strength. Military personnel face unique challenges such as war, deployment and field training and two issues that affect military women - menstruation and pregnancy - have an impact on these duties. This article discusses menstruation, the myth of a "period" and the use of continuous oral contraceptives for period suppression. Also discussed is unintended pregnancy during deployment or war that has a significant impact on military operations. In addition to period suppression, the use of oral contraceptives provides pregnancy prevention, thus increasing morale and saving money. The many established health benefits of hormone use as well as potential risks are also presented. For women who cannot tolerate the use of estrogen, Depo-Provera is examined especially as it relates to the special needs of military women. The Mirena, an intrauterine device, is explored as a possibility of period suppression as well as having a function in the unique situation of enemy capture and prisoner of war. Finally, this article suggests implementation of an Air Force wide Commander's Policy that addresses these issues from entry to exit in a military woman's career. The money, time and effort to implement such a policy would support and benefit all female military troops personally and support successful mission accomplishment globally.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- May 27, 2004
- Accession Number
- ADA423105
Entities
People
- Leslie A. Christopher
Organizations
- University of Washington