Toxic Exposures from Service in the US Military
Exposure of military personnel to known and plausible reproductive toxicants may pose a risk of reproductive harm. Such exposures also may contribute to sexual dysfunction, either by direct organic effects or because of reasonable concerns among the exposed over risking conception and consequent reproductive harm through sexual intercourse. Intimacy among military personnel returning from deployment may be prominently impaired by these concerns, which may persist despite efforts at good health risk communication. This chapter reviews common military toxic exposures with known or perceived reproductive toxicity or effects on sexual health. Recommendations are made for assessing such exposures when evaluating military personnel or veterans suffering impaired intimacy or sexual functioning. This chapter concludes with a recommendation that military specific exposure guidelines consider not only the existing evidence base regarding sexual and reproductive toxicity but also the valid concerns of military personnel about such effects and the possibility of their later confirmation.