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| Detail of a pair of silicone breast implants is seen in this file photo. The Australian military Sunday defended its decision to pay for some female sailors to have breast implants, saying the operations were not carried out for cosmetic reasons. (AFP/File/Mauricio Lima) |
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Australian navy defends paying for breast implants
AFP
Wed September 19, 2007
SYDNEY - The Australian military Sunday defended its decision to pay for some female sailors to have breast implants, saying the operations were not carried out for cosmetic reasons.
Australian Defence Force spokesman Brigadier Andrew Nikolic did not say how many women had had the taxpayer-funded operation.
But he said the military would consider paying for plastic surgery for personnel where there were medical, dental or compelling psychological or psychiatric reasons.
Any suggestion that breast operations were carried out to make the women "look sexy" were not only wrong, but insulting, Nikolic said.
"Under defence policy we do consider the holistic needs of our people, both physical and psychological," he said.
"That is a long way from saying, however, that if someone doesn't like their appearance, defence will fund things like breast augmentations as a matter of routine -- that is just not correct."
Defence Association spokesman Neil James also defended the practice.
"For psychiatric or psychological reasons, this has been recommended after a medical evaluation," he told state radio.
"It's not being done because someone just wanted it.
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