Abstract
In recent years, the number of women Veterans obtaining care in the Veterans Affairs
(VA) Healthcare System has grown, expanding the need for provision of contraceptive
care. Women Veterans are a diverse group of women with complex sociodemographic and
medical backgrounds, and meeting their needs presents a unique challenge for VA. Efforts
including the establishment of comprehensive women's health clinics and training practitioners
in women's health have greatly improved healthcare services for women Veterans over
the last few decades. Recent data from a large cross-sectional survey study suggest
that contraceptive use in VA is similar to the general population and that rates of
unintended pregnancy, while still significant, are not higher than that in the general
population. Subgroup analyses of this survey data, however, suggest that ongoing efforts
are needed to improve outcomes in vulnerable subpopulations of women Veterans, particularly
ethnic/racial minorities and Veterans with complex medical backgrounds. Policy changes
such as the elimination of copayments for contraceptive prescriptions and the dispensing
of more months of contraceptive supply are evidence-based starting points for improvements,
in addition to leveraging VA's integrated system and research infrastructure to improve
patient-centered counseling and contraceptive access.
Keywords
contraception - Veterans Health Administration - family planning - women Veterans
