Pelvic health in female military personnel: Broadening the conversation

Abstract

Pelvic health is an understudied area for female military personnel. This study aimed to explore the pelvic health concerns, prevalence rates, and co-existence of a wide range of pelvic health issues in Australian servicewomen. An online questionnaire was offered to adult females (sex-assigned at birth) who had completed a minimum of 6-month active-duty service in the Australian Defence Force (ADF). Data analyses were focused on calculating prevalence for the included female pelvic health issues and identifying trends within the data (frequencies, 95% CI). Of the 987 survey responses, 496 were excluded, leaving 491 responses (49.7%) to inform this study. Over two-thirds of servicewomen reported pelvic health concerns (n = 350, 71%, 95% CI 67–75%), including sexual dysfunction (41%), gynecological surgery (34%), menstrual cycle manipulation (32%), frequent pelvic pain (20%), endometriosis (18%), irregular menstrual cycles (17%), pelvic organ prolapse (12%), pelvic injury (10%), and frequent episodes of fecal incontinence (2%). Coexistence of pelvic health issues were also reported by 24%. Pelvic health concerns, beyond lower urinary tract symptoms, are common and can co-exist in Australian servicewomen. Consideration of sex-responsive health services within military organizations may help to mitigate potential risks, enhancing wellbeing, operational readiness, and mission outcomes.