Survey study, 2021
Do female military officers want to suppress their periods during training?
Yes, about half wanted to stop periods during training, mainly to avoid worrying about supplies and the inconvenience. However, 37% disagreed, and most didn't report that training made their PMS worse.
What they did
108 female military officers completed a 9-item questionnaire at the start and end of a 6-month training course. They rated their agreement with statements about menstruation, training stress, and desire for period suppression on a scale from 1 (strongly agree) to 5 (strongly disagree).
What they found
71% said training doesn't make periods worse and doesn't increase PMS. Yet 50% agreed stopping periods during training is a good idea. 70% said period suppression would prevent worry about supplies, and 64% said it would prevent inconvenience. About 65% reported difficulty with periods because they couldn't find adequate facilities, and 48% said there's no privacy. Opinions remained consistent from start to finish.
What it means for you
Many female soldiers want the option to suppress their periods, mainly for practical reasons like access to facilities and privacy, even though most don't report training worsens their symptoms. Military doctors should discuss hormonal contraception as an option for period suppression. This is a survey of attitudes, not a test of actual treatments.
108
Female officers surveyed
50%
Agreed period suppression during training is a good idea
65%
Had difficulty due to lack of adequate facilities
About the study
- Original title
- Female Military Officers Report a Desire for Menstrual Suppression During Military Training
- Authors
- Ricker EA, Goforth CW, Barrett AS et al.
- Journal
- Military medicine
- Year
- 2021
- Study design
- Survey study
- Participants
- 108
- What was tested
- Questionnaire survey (no medical intervention)
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1093/milmed/usaa339
Topics
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