Designating one bath for a small number of women could disadvantage scores of men, while making them unisex raises other problems. In any case, the all-male fraternity would disintegrate, critics argue. Not all submarine wives believe such concerns should be showstoppers. Their concerns are often founded on hearsay. She says it is difficult to imagine sailors having affairs on the job in this serious environment.
Submariners tend to spend what little downtime there is just catching a few hours of sleep.
Pregnancies on board would be rare, both women argue. The Navy routinely screens women on surface ships for pregnancy prior to each deployment. Similarly, Jones has few concerns about how integration would degrade morale. So I think they can do without it. More about Work Single moms escaping poverty A strong economy and declining teen birth rates are among factors helping many women work as they care for kids.