Sexual Health in the French Military: a Multidimensional and Gendered Perspective

Overview

Journal BMC Public Health

Publisher Biomed Central

Specialty Public Health

Date 2018 Jun 20

PMID 29914422

Citations 4

Authors

Sandrine Duron

Aline Bohet

Henri Panjo

Nathalie Bajos

Rene Migliani

Catherine Marimoutou

Yann Le Strat

Jean Baptiste Meynard

Caroline Moreau

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Background: Sexual health in the military comprises a range of concerns including sexually transmitted infections (STI), unintended pregnancy, sexual violence and sexual dysfunction. This study aims to estimate the prevalence of sexual health concerns by gender in the French military and compare these prevalences to estimates in the general population.

Methods: COSEMIL, the first sexual health survey in the French military comprises a probability sample of 1500 military personnel. Chi-square tests were used to compare lifetime abortion, STIs and sexual assault, and recent sexual dysfunction and sexual satisfaction by gender and explore the association between these indicators and current sexual risk (condom use at last intercourse).

Results: Women were more likely than men to declare negative sexual health outcomes, with the greatest difference related to sexual assault (24.3% versus 5.1% of males, p < 0.001) and sexual dysfunction hindering sexuality (15.2% of females versus 5.3% of males, p < 0.001). Women were also twice as likely to report ever having an STI (6.7% versus 3.4%, p = 0.03). Comparison with the French general population indicates lower percentages of STIs among military men (2.9% versus 4.9%) and higher percentages of abortion (17.6% versus 14.3%) forced sex (10.6% versus 7.4%) and sexual dysfunction (14.2% versus 9.3%) among military women.

Conclusion: These results highlight gendered pattern of sexual health in the French military with women suffering greater sexual risks than men. Military health services should include women's health services to address the sexual and reproductive health gender gap.

Citing Articles

Impact of war-associated factors on spread of sexually transmitted infections: a systemic review.

Kvasnevska Y, Faustova M, Voronova K, Basarab Y, Lopatina Y Front Public Health. 2024; 12:1366600.

PMID: 38645454 PMC: 11026856. DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2024.1366600.

Mental health consequences of military sexual trauma: results from a national survey in the French military.

Moreau C, Duron S, Bedretdinova D, Bohet A, Panjo H, Bajos N BMC Public Health. 2022; 22(1):214.

PMID: 35109815 PMC: 8812201. DOI: 10.1186/s12889-022-12545-x.

From sexual harassment to sexual assault: Prevalence and correlates of sexual trauma in the French military.

Moreau C, Bedretdinova D, Duron S, Bohet A, Panjo H, Bajos N PLoS One. 2021; 16(11):e0259182.

PMID: 34788297 PMC: 8598035. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0259182.

Sexually Transmitted Infections in Soldiers - A Cross-Sectional Assessment in German Paratroopers and Navy Soldiers and a Literature Review.

Gottwald C, Schwarz N, Frickmann H Eur J Microbiol Immunol (Bp). 2020; 9(4):138-143.

PMID: 31934366 PMC: 6945994. DOI: 10.1556/1886.2019.00023.

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