• Lori L Trego.
• School of Nursing at University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA. lori.trego@us.army.mil
• J Obstet Gynecol Neonatal Nurs. 2007 Jul 1; 36 (4): 342-7.

ObjectiveTo develop a preliminary description of military women's menstrual experiences and their awareness of menstrual suppression during deployment.DesignQualitative descriptive with content analysis.SettingRecruitment and sampling occurred at a large U.S. military base from December 2005 to January 2006.ParticipantsNine women who had been deployed to U.S. military operations.ResultsSeven themes were generated from the data: (a) Menses is intensified during deployment, (b) It's hard to take care of yourself during your period, (c) Menstrual challenges: heat, dirt, and port-a-potties, (d) Menstruation is an inconvenience when you are deployed, (e) Dealing with menstruation in the military world, (f) Negative aspects of menstruation outweigh the positive during deployment, and (g) Menstrual suppression.ConclusionMenstruation is problematic during deployment and participants expressed interest in menstrual suppression. However, concerns about the side effects and safety of continuous oral contraceptives limited participants' use of this therapy. Education on menstrual hygiene and methods of menstrual cycle control should be provided prior to deployment to prepare women for the experience.

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