Self-reported menstrual concerns of U.S. Air Force and U.S. Army rated women aircrew

A comprehensive anonymous questionnaire survey of all U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force rated female aircrew, with age- and duty-matched males, was conducted. This report addresses the menstrual concerns part of the questionnaire, which sought information from women on discomfort problems during the menstrual cycle and methods used for combating this discomfort. Five hundred sixty-seven women were surveyed. Only 9% of respondents admitted to having any menstrual complaints and, of these, only 17% attempted to take themselves off the flight schedule during the problem days. Even so, 41% of all women aircrew admitted to taking some form of medication for menstrual discomfort while on flight status. Most respondents to this section of the questionnaire were openly hostile, seemingly sensitive to sex-specific questions. This could be a safety-of-flight issue, in that menstrual symptoms could be a serious in-flight distraction to the female aircrew member.