Why Are Military Women Affected by Toxic Exposure More than Men? – Women’s eNews (2022)

Why Are Military Women Affected by Toxic Exposure More than Men?

By Jonathan Sharp

The fact that medical professionals seldom ask women whether they served in the military upon assigning them a diagnosis is just one of the reasons why many female veterans fail to receive the healthcare they need.

“Female veterans have more unique healthcare requirements than their male counterparts, as the impact of toxic exposure affects women differently. However, women – the invisible veterans – are often unaware that they have experienced toxic exposure in the military, which is why they are even more frequently misdiagnosed than male veterans. One in 7 men in the United States is a veteran, whereas 1 in 69 women in the country is a veteran. Every year, a whopping 12 million Americans seeking outpatient care get misdiagnosed, which includes numerous women veterans. Nevertheless, the fact that medical professionals seldom ask women whether they served in the military upon assigning them a diagnosis is just one of the reasons why many female veterans fail to receive the healthcare they need.”

“Medical studies clearly highlight the biological differences between women and men, such as physiological, chromosomal, and hormonal differences, which create a higher susceptibility for women to severe toxic exposure in the military. Additionally, toxic exposure is more likely to seriously affect women because they usually have more adipose tissue to store chemicals that bioaccumulate. Having toxic agents in your body increases your chances of developing certain diseases, a problem male veterans might not face. They have less body fat and might thereby eliminate a larger amount of chemicals. Lastly, female military members exposed to toxic agents are at particularly high risk during their childbearing years and pregnancy, as even low doses of chemicals might cause dramatic and irreversible health effects. This is especially relevant for endocrine-disrupting chemicals affecting fertility, fecundity, and fetal development.”

— Read on womensenews.org/2022/04/why-are-military-women-affected-by-toxic-exposure-more-than-men/