Menstrual suppression for combat operations: advantages of oral contraceptive pills.

BACKGROUND: increasing numbers of women are deployed to austere settings in which menstruation may impose logistical challenges. Minimal data exists about the use of oral contraceptive pills (OCPs) for menstrual suppression in this population. Post-deployment survey was undertaken to establish prevalence of continuous OCP use, perceived barriers, and associations with menstrual burden in a military population within the austere environment. METHODS: voluntary and anonymous 44-item questionnaire. RESULTS: of 500 women, 78% (n = 390) had personal experience using OCPs and 66% (n = 330) desired menstrual suppression. However, only 40% (n = 192) reported any OCP use and only 21% (n = 99) reported continuous use during deployment. Sixty-seven percent of women reported some difficulty in daily pill compliance and nearly half (45%) missed ≥ 1 pill per week in the austere setting. Continuous users were nearly twice as compliant as conventional users (p = .019) and compliant OCP users reported significantly less menstrual burden than noncompliant users (p = .017). Almost all women (85%) desired mandatory education about menstrual suppression through OCPs. CONCLUSION: despite OCP experience and desire for amenorrhea, prevalence of extended cycle OCP use in this population is low. Extended OCPs users in the austere setting report improved compliance and reduced menstrual burden compared with conventional users. Education about OCPs is highly desirable for most military women and may benefit those in austere settings.

Attitudes and knowledge about continuous oral contraceptive pill use in military women.

OBJECTIVE: The goal of this study was to determine attitudes toward oral contraceptive pill (OCP)-induced amenorrhea among U.S. Army women. METHODS: A volunteer sample (N = 154) of Army Active Duty, Reserve, and National Guard women completed an anonymous survey. RESULTS: Desire for temporary amenorrhea was high with 86% (+/- 6%, 95% confidence interval [CI]) and 83% (+/-6%, 95% CI) desiring amenorrhea during field training and deployments, respectively. Fifty-four percent were unaware that OCPs can induce amenorrhea; only 7% (+/-4%, 95% CI) have used this practice during deployment. If made available with education, 49% (+/-8%, 95% CI) would use this practice. Logistic burdens of menstruation were associated with higher rates of desirability for OCP use with soldiers desiring OCPs rating their inconveniences significantly higher than those who did not desire OCPs (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Although a significant number of soldiers desire OCP-induced amenorrhea, a large deficit in knowledge exists. Routine education as an Army-wide standard is warranted.