"Lady J" and "Freshette Complete System": A Field Trial for the Active Duty Woman.

With the increase in women in the armed services and the increase in combat roles for women, field duty and deployment are becoming much more commonplace for the female soldier. Lack of suitable bathroom facilities and sufficient privacy pose a problem for timely urination. Active duty females in the field will decrease their oral hydration to diminish the frequency of urination as well as voluntarily suppress urination as long as possible. Subsequently, these women may induce prolonged bladder distention and increase their risk of urinary infections. The Lady J and Freshette Complete System are urinary diversion devices designed for female backpackers. They allow urination through the fly opening in the trousers with no need to remove clothing or gear, or find suitable ground cover. These devices have not been tested in a military setting. Our objective was to evaluate the utility of these devices for the female soldier during a major Army field exercise.