Military Women's Health While Deployed: Feminine Hygiene and Health in Austere Environments

Since the beginning of the American Revolutionary War, women have been serving our country without hesitation.(1,2) However, not until the start of Desert Storm in 2002 did women’s health come to the forefront.(2) Currently, 15% of the U.S. Armed Forces are women, and 10% are deployed.(2-4) While deployed, women are concerned about menstruation, contraception, infections, and basic feminine hygiene, and they must deal with these concerns in the most austere conditions.(5)