High-risk behavior and sexually transmitted infections among U.S. active duty servicewomen and veterans
UMass Chan Affiliations
Department of Quantitative Health SciencesDocument Type
Journal ArticlePublication Date
2012-11-01Keywords
AdultFemale
Humans
Military Personnel
*Risk Assessment
Sexually Transmitted Diseases
United States
Veterans
Military and Veterans Studies
Obstetrics and Gynecology
Women's Health
Metadata
Show full item recordAbstract
The number of women who are active duty service members or veterans of the U.S. military is increasing. Studies among young, unmarried, active duty servicewomen who are sexually active indicate a high prevalence of risky sexual behaviors, including inconsistent condom use, multiple sexual partners, and binge drinking, that lead to unintended and unsafe sex. These high-risk sexual practices likely contribute to chlamydia infection rates that are higher than the rates in the U.S. general population. Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection and cervical dysplasia may also be higher among young, active duty servicewomen. Little is known about the sexual practices and rates of sexually transmitted infections among older servicewomen and women veterans; however, women veterans with a history of sexual assault may be at high risk for HPV infection and cervical dysplasia. To address the reproductive health needs of military women, investigations into the prevalence of unsafe sexual behaviors and consequent infection among older servicewomen and women veterans are needed. Direct comparison of military and civilian women is needed to determine if servicewomen are a truly high-risk group. Additionally, subgroups of military women at greatest risk for these adverse reproductive health outcomes need to be identified.Source
Epub 2012 Sep 20. Link to article on publisher's site
DOI
10.1089/jwh.2012.3605Permanent Link to this Item
http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14038/51021PubMed ID
22994983Related Resources
ae974a485f413a2113503eed53cd6c53
10.1089/jwh.2012.3605