Female war veterans in the spotlight

An Australian female peacekeepr in East Timor. Photo:

The lasting effects on women who have served in war will be the subject of a new study from researchers at The Australian National University.

The research project, led by Dr Samantha Crompvoets from the ANU Medical School, will aim to shed light on many unanswered questions about the health and wellbeing of women who served in Vietnam. It will also compare their experiences to those of women who have been deployed more recently.

Dr Crompvoets said that there was little research into the potential impacts on Australian women of service in the Vietnam War, but what there was indicated there are problems that need addressing.

‘While considerable research efforts have explored the issues for male Vietnam veterans, similar studies for women are scarce,’ she said.

?A study in 1998 found that female Vietnam veterans are less likely than other Australian women to classify their health as excellent or good. That report also found there were some conditions that appeared to be more common in Australian female veterans, including asthma, depression, cancer, panic attacks and heart disease.

?How these conditions have affected their lives, how much they attribute these conditions to their service and how they have negotiated their health and wellbeing since returning from Vietnam is really unknown, and will be one of the focal points of the study.’

As part of the study, Dr Crompvoets is looking for ex-military health personnel from the Vietnam era onwards to interview to build up a strong picture of their experiences.

‘Participants will be asked to take part in a confidential interview and perhaps a focus group with other female veterans, to discuss their experiences and perceived effects of war and peacekeeping,’ she said.

The research project - which is financed by the Department of Veterans? Affairs (DVA) - will aim to build a body of information on a group of people rapidly approaching retirement as well as provide health care and prevention strategies for people currently serving.

‘Women now comprise more around 13 per cent of Australia’s armed forces. The increasing proportion of females that are war, peacekeeping or peacemaking veterans raises new questions about their health and well being and their use of healthcare services,? said Dr Crompvoets.

To register to take part in the study by contact 02 6125 1310 / samantha.crompvoets [a] anu.edu (p) au

For interviews: Dr Samantha Crompvoets - 02 6125 1310
For media assistance: James Giggacher, ANU Media - 02 6125 7988 / 0416 249 241