LAUSR

The health concerns for military women who serve in austere environments include feminine hygiene, risk of infection, and limited knowledge of gynecologic conditions, symptoms, and prevention. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of the Women's Health Promotion Program (WHPP) for Austere Environments that was implemented in the military community setting of a large operational military unit on a southeastern U.S. military base. The WHPP is a pilot-tested program designed to educate women to recognize and prepare for environments that require alteration of feminine hygiene behaviors, with the goal of maintaining genitourinary health. Evaluation of the WHPP was designed according to the RE-AIM framework, which measures the Reach, Efficacy/effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation, and Maintenance of a health promotion program. The WHPP was offered to 49 military units (none of which declined) and presented to 443 military women in those units. One year after the implementation of the WHPP, the rates of urinary tract infections, vaginal candidiasis infections, and menstrual disorders decreased among the units that participated in the WHPP. These findings lay the foundation for an Army-wide adoption of this WHPP that could enhance readiness in military women.