Service women’s health issues rise as military population grows

In January 2016, it was mandated that all combat jobs were open for women applicants and in November 2018 the first woman passed the initial qualification phase to possibly become the first female Green Beret. As women are integrating into the military at an increased rate, there is a need to readdress women’s health education and services within the military.

A 2019 article from “Business Insider” quoted from a survey that “26 percent of active-duty women are unable to access birth control while deployed.” This survey, which was given by the Service Women’s Action Network, also states some doctors “denied birth control on general orders that limit deployed troop’s sexual activity.” The article further explained that a doctor denying this medication violated privacy issues but not any military regulation.

This problem has been around for some time. Another article published in 2019 by Reuters News stated that “As of 2011, the unintended pregnancy rate among U.S. servicewomen was more than one-and-a-half times the rate in the general U.S. population.” The article, which based its findings in a systemic review conducted in 2011, attributed the high unintended pregnancy rates to “gaps in contraceptive access, failure to use birth control correctly or consistently, or reliance on less effective methods.”

When female service members are pregnant, they usually will have their duties, schedule and limitations modified and can sometimes request to be discharged. But not every woman is treated with such grace.

A news report from Channel 13 WTHR website investigated the story of the late Specialist Ashley Shelton whose pregnancy was ignored. The 2019 article reports that “a flight doctor dismissed five positive pregnancy tests and cleared her for deployment. Three months after her deployment to Afghanistan, Shelton gave birth to a near full-term baby boy in a latrine.” Shelton’s unexpected death is still under investigation.

In this extreme example, the military failed to provide prenatal care for the infant as well as failing to protect the health of Shelton and integrity of the unit.

An annual report done by the Department of Defense in 2018 disclosed that, “The report for fiscal 2017 says the department received 6,769 reports of sexual assault involving service members as either victims or subjects of criminal investigation, a 9.7 percent increase over the 6,172 reports made in fiscal 2016.”

An April 2018 Time magazine reported Pentagon data that shows, “sexual assault reports in the Military Rose for the 7th Year in a Row,” and it “showed a ten percent increase in reported incidents over the last fiscal year.” Ironically, the data also showed that troops facing criminal prosecution for these crimes dropped nine percent since 2013. These sexual assaults may also be contributing to unwanted pregnancy.

When a woman signs up for the military, they are volunteering their body, mind and actions to the orders of her service. But there are instances where this can change. If a servicewoman is taken as a prisoner of war (POW) and is impregnated, it is no longer just about her body, but that of another human being. The child, born or not, has not consented to the torture and torment that may lay ahead.

Such traumatic events may understandably evoke PTSD on a woman service member, Military.com reports that, “Women are more than twice as likely to develop PTSD than men (10% for women and 4% for men).”

A study by The Soldiers Project stated that, “Women currently comprise 17% of U.S. military personnel and are the fastest growing group of military veterans. According to PTSD United, 71% of these women develop Military Sexual Trauma (MST) due to sexual assault within the ranks, unwanted sexual activity, insulting sexual comments or unwanted sexual advances. Military.com reports that women are twice as likely to develop PTSD than men. Tragically, women are also more likely to blame themselves for trauma experiences than men.”

Because of the growing number of women in the military, especially in deployment positions, there should be better sex education counseling services tailored to the needs of active duty including the use of long-term birth control such as intrauterine devices or contraceptive implants.  There should also be better accountability to discourage sexual harassment among troops as well as further studies to improve PTSD outcomes in women service members.

Just offering free health care is not enough to meet the needs of our military personnel. Our service men and women have made the ultimate sacrifice for our country and deserve only the best care.