A military challenge to managing feminine and personal hygiene.

PURPOSE: To examine the personal remembrances of a group of military women concerning their experiences with hygiene issues during service in a hostile environment. DATA SOURCES: Verbatim transcripts of focused interviews from 33 women who had been deployed to combat or the field were subjected to content analysis. Questions related to the womens' experiences in cleansing the body, collecting menses waste, and protecting against genitourinary infection in a hostile environment.
CONCLUSIONS: Management of personal hygiene needs was often difficult and consumed a great deal of time. Hygiene issues affected women's attitudes, practice, work, morale and coping. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: By understanding the hygiene needs and practices of military woman changes can be made that have the potential to affect health promotion and disease prevention strategies for all women.