Suchergebnisse

INTRODUCTION: Women Veterans face gender-specific challenges to military life and post- deployment readjustment, including gender-based discrimination and military sexual trauma. Despite recent military initiatives to address these issues, women still experience unique challenges during military service. This study examines spontaneous comments about gender- specific challenges to military life that were made by participants in a qualitative study of women's transitions to civilian life after deployment to Iraq or Afghanistan. METHODS: Women Veterans who were enrolled at a New England VA hospital and who had deployed to the U.S. conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan participated in this qualitative study (N = 22). Interview queries and initial coding structure were developed through an extensive literature review. An iterative coding process generated additional themes identified in the data. For this project, codes regarding self-initiated reports of gender-specific challenges that fell outside the scope of the study's initial interview agenda were reviewed for thematic analysis. RESULTS: The following three self-initiated themes emerged among 12 respondents: 1) gender-based scrutiny and discrimination; 2) the military's inadequate position and response to military sexual trauma; and 3) disadvantages to women service members living in a male dominated environment. Across all three themes emerged a sub-theme in which women perceived their unique needs to be inconvenient and/or disregarded. Respondents described how these challenges disrupted their lives during and after military service. CONCLUSION: Results imply gender-specific challenges and military sexual trauma remain critical concerns for women Veterans well after deployment had ended, and that improved policy may have long-term health implications.

Objective: To identify and describe behavioral interventions to promote sexual and reproductive health among US active duty military service members. Data Sources: Systematic searches of PubMed, CINAHL, and PsychINFO (N = 1609 records). Inclusion Criteria: English-language articles published between 1991 and 2018 and retrieved using search terms related to military service, interventions, and sexual and reproductive health. Exclusion Criteria: Articles excluded if not empirically based, not published in peer-reviewed journals, did not sample active duty US military personnel, and did not examine the effectiveness of specified preventive sexual or reproductive health intervention(s). Data Extraction: Teams of paired authors extracted study rationale; aims; design; setting; description of the intervention; measures; sample demographics; clinical, behavioral, and psychosocial outcomes; and conclusions. Data Synthesis: Given the heterogeneity of studies, narrative synthesis was performed. Results: Fifteen articles met inclusion criteria: 10 focused on sexually transmitted infection (STI) acquisition and/or unintended pregnancy and 5 on sexual assault. Studies that assessed clinical outcomes found that interventions were associated with lower rates of STIs and/or unintended pregnancy. Significant effects were found on knowledge-related outcomes, while mixed effects were found on attitudes, intentions, and behaviors. Conclusions: Current evidence on the effectiveness of sexual and reproductive health interventions in the US military is limited in quality and scope. Promoting sexual and reproductive health in this population is critical to maintaining well-being among servicemembers, their families, and the communities surrounding military installations.