SynthesisMilitary medicine2026
Reproductive and Female Health in the Australian Defence Force 2002-2023: A Systematic Review and Synthesis.
Synthesis in Military medicine, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
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Who cites it
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Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
8 authors.
Funding
Abstract
introductionMilitary service involves potential exposure to a range of physical, chemical, and biological hazards that could impact reproductive health. Females represent 20% of Australian Defence Force (ADF) members and, like many military services, the ADF is prioritizing their recruitment and retention. However, given that females have different physiology and anthropometry, specific female occupational research is essential. This systematic review aimed to retrieve and summarize the findings of research involving currently serving ADF personnel with outcomes relevant to male or female reproductive health or any aspect of female health. MATERIALS AND
methodsReproductive and female health studies between January 2002 and April 2023 that included serving ADF members were identified through a systematic search of 5 scientific databases. Data were extracted and synthesized, alongside a risk of bias assessment following PRISMA-ScR guidelines.
resultsOverall, 8 studies relating to reproductive health and 14 studies related to female health were identified. Studies were methodologically heterogeneous: few studies were at low risk of bias and few covered the same health outcome, preventing pooling of data. Four studies of males concluded that deployment to the Middle East was not associated with risk of infertility or birth defects. Female reproductive health studies provided very limited data. Other female health research primarily covered musculoskeletal disorders and injuries from basic training.
conclusionsStudies of reproductive and female health in ADF members do not currently provide a cohesive or comprehensive body of evidence in either area. This review serves as a systematic map of the existing evidence to identify gaps and set future strategic research agendas. More high-quality longitudinal studies with sex-stratified analyses are urgently needed, as is a strategic focus on health outcomes that may affect military preparedness and fitness for deployment.
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