What I have learned persuades me that assigning women to submarines would be a huge waste of money and would dangerously impair mission-effectiveness. The living conditions on a submarine are difficult enough for an all-male crew. Sailors literally sleep on top of torpedoes, and many must hot-bunk that is, occupy a bunk that is used by another sailor or sailors at other hours of the day. On a submarine, every inch of space counts. It is normal practice to store cans and boxes of food in the shower stalls.
Sailors simply go without showers for long periods on submarines.
Submarine deployments often last months. Depending on the secrecy of the mission, it may be impossible to return a sailor who falls ill. We already know from surface ship experience that women are evacuated at far higher rates than men, especially for pregnancy and similar female health issues. Not only does the loss of a crew member hurt the efficiency of the mission, but it also jeopardizes the safety of others, including the air crews who perform the evacuation. The Navy enforces a policy of zero tolerance against sexual harassment.