Preservation of the reproductive health of military women: global experience and realities of Ukraine

Abstract

A review of world literature and Ukrainian researches on the most common requests to gynecologists among military women, on the structure of pathology and treatment methods was made. Special attention is paid to the hormonal contraception, namely combined oral contraceptives (COCs) in the usual and continuous regime (avoiding the hormone-free interval) and the levonorgestrel-releasing intrauterine systems (LNG-IUDs). Cases of global practice of using COCs in extended regimen were considered, which showed that 47.2% of 1156 women chose a prolonged regimen of COCs, the main reason for this was the desire to avoid symptoms associated with menstruation. We consider this option very positive for military women, because some studies show that military women who took COCs in a continuous regimen were almost twice as favorable to their reception as those who used them in a regular mode. The positive aspects of the LNG-IUDs use in military women are presented, as a factor in the prevention of abnormal uterine bleeding, reducing the risk of iron deficiency in case of possible blood loss, and reducing the intensity of dysmenorrhea as a negative factor in the military conditions. Ways to increase compliance between a gynecologist and a military woman are also considered, using the example of global studies, which prove that insufficient awareness of patients about the possible ways and positive effects of using COCs in extended regimen reduced patients’ commitment to choosing new regimens. Conclusions. In today’s realities, the gynecological service in our country faces a number of new problems that require a strategic approach and solution. World practice and national studies prove that stress-induced hormonal disorders in military women, such as abnormal uterine bleeding, menstrual cycle disorders, dysmenorrhea, are negative factors in combat conditions, require the attention and resolution by doctors. One of the options for solving this problem can be the appointment of COCs according to the usual and extended scheme or appointment of LNG-IUDs.

Keywords

• military women
• reproductive health
• abnormal uterine bleeding
• dysmenorrhea
• menstrual disorders
• hormonal contraception
• levonorgestrel-releasing intrauterine system