• Female soldiers are more prone to certain war-related disorders than male soldiers.beauty brunette soldier girl portrait image by Anatoly Tiplyashin from Fotolia.com
  
  As of 2010, women make up 15 percent of soldiers worldwide, and they often fight alongside men in the armed services of most developed countries. Women are prone to as many, or more emotional side effects of war as their male counterparts. Being a soldier as a woman presents its own specific risks, impacts and experiences.
  
  

Post-traumatic Stress Disorder

• According to the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs, women are twice as likely to suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) than men. The sufferers re-live their traumatic experiences, which can be distressing to themselves and those around them. The signs include sudden shortness of breath and panic. The episodes can be caused by seemingly insignificant events. Women may be more susceptible to PTSD because they are more likely to be sexually assaulted, and sexual assault is more likely to cause PTSD than many other causes. In addition, women often blame themselves for the trauma they experienced. Therapists and counselors specialize in trauma and can help sufferers understand and eventually overcome PTSD.
  
  

Rape

• Sexual assault is more common against women than men according to the Office of Veteran Affairs, and female soldiers have the added concern of rape from both enemy and fellow male soldiers. Rape can involve physical harm, sexually transmitted infections and emotional damage. A rising number of women have reported having sexual acts demanded by officers above them in rank according to a New York Times article in 2010.
  
  

Family Life Stresses

• As of 2010, nearly 10,000 women who have gone to war have been mothers, and many of them are the sole support for their family. The family/work balance is reported to be extremely difficult and often is what causes women to leave their posts, according to a story in the New York Times. Also, if a recruit has custody of her children and is unmarried, she will not be eligible to enlist with the Army or Army Reserves according to U.S. Army regulation 601-210, section 2-10. While this regulation is not restricted to women, women gain custody of their children approximately 90 percent of the time in legal separations and therefore are much more likely to face this issue.