Health and female soldiers
Woman are becoming a fast rising segment in every branch of the military. According to the statistical data women make up 20% of new recruits (Health Services Research & Development, 2014). Women soldiers will soon become a bigger consumer in VA health care in field and at home as more are deployed in combat situations.
The first concern I found was about chaffing, blisters and sores because the protective clothing and uniforms do not fit the female soldiers properly but none of the sources went into detail about this or hinted to what was being done to alleviate this problem.
Every resource I came across online suggests that female soldiers are more likely to develop dehydration and urinary/ vaginal infections because they do not want to ask to stop and urinate due to difficulty in removing their gear. As Gregg Zoroya, USA TODAY points out it was found that there are devices to help female soldiers down range stand up and urinate. These devices however are not sufficiently brought to the attentions of those prior going into combat (Zoroya, 2012) Holding in urine can produce urinary infections and down time. These devices would help reduce the time it takes to stop and make it more comfortable to ask to stop and urinate.
Reproductive health is a concern, bacterial infections can develop downrange because there is not sufficient hygiene in combat situations. Not only do these infections produce downtime it can cause harm to the reproductive system. While birth control can help levitate menstrual flow and discomfort it is not brought up prior to deployment. Limitations to the access of birth control is seen sharply as this point is presented; female soldiers have a higher percent of unwanted pregnanc...
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Health Services Research & Development. (2014, january 20). Retrieved from U.S Department of Veterans Affairs: http://www.hsrd.research.va.gov/for_managers/stories/womens_health.cfm
Medical Press. (2012q, november 14). Researcher: Military should reassess reproductive health care for women. Retrieved from medical press website: http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-11-military-reassess-reproductive-health-women.html
Stanifer, C. (2012, May 12). PTSD diagnosis rates rise among female troops. Retrieved from Armytimes: http://www.armytimes.com/article/20120312/NEWS/203120320/PTSD-diagnosis-rates-rise-among-female-troops
Zoroya, G. (2012, 6 18). Army task force: Female troops need better health care. Retrieved from USA Today: http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/military/story/2012-06-06/female-soldiers-need-better-health-care/55626156/1
From the end of the draft in 1973 to the military data from 2003, the number of women in service rose from 2 percent to 12 percent. A sample of military women studied in 1991 showed 69 percent to have experienced sexual harassmen...
The military is trying to find new ways to recognize the fact that women now fight in the country’s wars. In 2011 the Military Leadership Diversity Commission recommended that the Department of Defense remove all combat restrictions on women. Although many jobs have been opened for women in the military, there is still 7.3 percent of jobs that are closed to them. On February 9, 2012, George Little announced that the Department of Defense would continue to reduce the restrictions that were put on women’s roles. The argument that “women are not physically fit for combat” is the most common and well-researched justification for their exclusion from fighting units. It has been proven if women go through proper training and necessary adaptations, they can complete the same physical tasks as any man. Though there seem to be many reasons from the exclusion of women in the military, the main ones have appeared to be that they do not have the strength to go through combat, would be a distraction to the men, and that they would interrupt male bonding and group
Men have always been looked upon as the leading sex. Looking back through history women have been the ones who take care of the home and children, while men are the ones who work and go to war. However in recent years there’s no doubt that women have become much more equal in the work force. Nevertheless men are still the ones who are forced to fight our wars when the time calls for it. Many think that women should be entirely equal to men having their choice to be drafted taken away but the fact is that they are physically at a disadvantage, too emotionally oriented, and the increase of female presence would have a more negative impact in the military in the way of social interactions.
Since the resolution of World War II, the United States has been involved in over fifteen extensive military wars. Recent wars between Iraq and Afghanistan are being fought over several issues which affect women in both the United States and the other nations. While the military is often thought of a male dominated institution, women are present and affected all throughout the system as soldiers, caretakers, partners, and victims. Transnational feminists often fight against war due to the vulnerability that is placed on women during times of war. Despite often being overlooked, there is no doubt that women are heavily included in the devastating consequences of war.
... The General Accounting Office concluded in a hearing on May 8th 1999 that combat inclusion is the greatest impediment to women attaining higher military rank. Until qualified women are given access to assignments that are central to the militaries mission, they will be marginalized. Sexual harassment is a huge problem
Source (Please attach copy of article): Burns, B., Grindlay, K., Holt, K., Manski, R., & Grossman, D. (2014). Military sexual trauma among US servicewomen during deployment: A qualitative study. American Journal of Public Health, 104(2), 345-349. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/1499845673?accountid=12387
"Update: Women in the Military." Issues and Controversies. Facts On File News Services, 29 May 2007. Web.
The Veteran’s screening program stated that 1 in 4 women have experienced MST (2015) within their time in service. This shows that there is an epidemic within our nation’s ranks. There should be no reason why our women in uniform go through such a traumatizing event. Our women in armor signed to defend our country. They did not sign, thinking they would have to be on guard while resting at the home
Becraft, Carolyn J. “ A Case for Women in Combat.” U.S Army Command and General Staff
In today’s ever changing world, people who serve in the United States military face extreme danger. Danger is eminent for both men and women when deployed abroad. For women the threat is even more apparent because protective vests were designed for a man’s body. Over a decade into the war against the Taliban, women’s protective gear is finally being developed. Some think perhaps a little too late, considering women have been deployed since the very start of the war.
While women may not have fought in the war, they were still exposed to the brutality of the war. “Women knew the presence of military always meant the possibility of rape or physical humiliation” (Berkin, 2005, 39). “Loneliness, poverty, fear of starvation and the possibility of rape and death at the hands of hostile invading troops” (Berkin, 2005, 52). Most of the women that made this choice were from lower rings of society. These women followed behind soldiers carrying baskets on their backs filled with supplies and carried children in their arms. Even in the cool air they
women in the military and found that 51.8 % of men and 74.6% of women
Ruby, J. (2005, November 1). Women in Combat Roles: Is That the Question?. Off Our Backs,35, 36.
Landers, Robert K. "Should women be allowed into combat?" Congressional Quarterly Inc. 13 Oct., Vol. 2, No. 14, pp. 570-582
Skaine, Rosemarie. “Properly Trained Servicewomen Can Overcome Physical Shortcomings.” Women at War: Gender Issues of Americans in Combat (1999). Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Thomson Gale. University of South Alabama Library. 15 July 2006 .