Military medicine
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Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is a major risk factor for the development of multiple cancers. Active duty service members have higher rates of HPV infection than civilians, while Veterans are diagnosed with a disproportionately high burden of HPV-associated cancers compared to civilians without prior service. While a highly effective HPV vaccine has been available for over a decade, vaccination rates in the United States remain suboptimal. The objective of this study was to investigate HPV vaccination rates among male and female Veterans compared with their non-Veteran counterparts. ⋯ Veterans of both sexes are more likely to be vaccinated than their non-Veteran civilian counterparts. However, vaccination rates overall remain low. To our knowledge, ours is the first study of its kind to establish HPV vaccination rates among female Veterans. These findings underscore the important role of DoD and VA health care systems in improving HPV vaccine uptake and mitigating HPV-associated cancer risk among Veterans.
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Dental impressions and casts play a critical role in dental care, facilitating diagnoses and the fabrication of prostheses. Traditional methods of fabrication involve elastomeric materials that are more prone to errors and patient discomfort. Digital advancements offer promising alternatives, yet their accuracy and applicability to military dentistry remain under-explored. This study evaluates the accuracy of digital casts produced with material available in the Military Health System compared to conventional methods. ⋯ These findings validate the potential of digital workflows in enhancing the speed and accuracy of dental care in the Military Health System, while underscoring the need for further exploration and refinement in specific clinical contexts.
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The National Guard (NG) was an important component of the U.S. emergency response for the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Understanding how the personal COVID-19 experiences of NG members may be associated with posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) and disorder (PTSD) can inform approaches to identifying and sustaining service members' mental health. ⋯ Personal COVID-19 experiences are associated with increased PTSS and PTSD risk in NG service members. Such knowledge may aid in selection of service members for activation and identifying those in need of care.