Reproductive and Female Health in the Australian Defence Force 2002-2023: A Systematic Review and Synthesis.

Area of Science:

• Occupational Health
• Reproductive Health
• Military Medicine

Background:

• Military service poses reproductive health risks from various exposures.
• Females comprise 20% of the Australian Defence Force (ADF), necessitating specific research.
• Existing research on ADF personnel's reproductive and female health is limited.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review and summarize research on reproductive and female health in serving ADF members.
• To identify gaps in the current body of evidence.
• To inform future research agendas and strategic health initiatives.

Main Methods:

• Systematic search of 5 scientific databases for studies from January 2002 to April 2023.
• Inclusion of studies involving serving ADF members with reproductive or female health outcomes.
• Data extraction, synthesis, and risk of bias assessment using PRISMA-ScR guidelines.

Main Results:

• Eight reproductive health studies and 14 female health studies were identified.
• Studies were methodologically heterogeneous with few low-risk bias studies.
• Male reproductive health studies found no infertility or birth defect risks from Middle East deployment; female reproductive health data was very limited. Musculoskeletal disorders were common in female health research.

Conclusions:

• Current research on ADF reproductive and female health lacks cohesion and comprehensiveness.
• Significant gaps exist, requiring a strategic research agenda.
• High-quality, longitudinal, sex-stratified studies are crucial for military preparedness and deployment fitness.