Issue Brief

Women Veterans

With more women returning from war than ever before, the Department of Veterans Affairs is faced with the challenge of providing the physical and mental health care services to women veterans.

The Situation

• Although women have historically been the minority in the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) health care system, it is estimated that the number of women using VA health-care services will double in less than five years, if women continue to enroll at the current rate.
• Approximately 70,000 women have served and separated from military service in Iraq and Afghanistan. Among this group, 37 percent have received health care from VA, up from 33 percent in the previous year. (Testimony by Disabled American Veterans before the House of Representatives, March 6, 2007)
• Women returning from combat have unique health care needs. In addition to gynecological care and privacy concerns, some women soldiers experienced military sexual trauma (MST). In a survey conducted by the VA between 2002 and 2006, approximately 19 percent of female veterans screened were found to experience military sexual trauma, compared with one percent of male veterans.

The Challenge

• According to the VA’s own data, currently women get lower quality care than men and are not consistently receiving the recommended health-care services that meet current VA standards.
• In recent years, VA has moved away from comprehensive women’s health clinics in favor of primary health services that care for both male and female veterans. This has reduced primary care physicians’ caseload of women; created a dearth of women’s health specialists; and limited access to health services unique to women. (Independent Budget, 2008)

The Solution

• New legislation, the Women Veterans Health Care Improvement Act (H.R. 4107), has been introduced to improve VA’s ability to assess and treat women who have experienced military sexual trauma (MST); increase the use of evidence-based treatment practices; and call for a long-term study on the unique health challenges facing women veterans.
• Full service women’s primary care clinics, or at minimum single primary care teams for women, are the ideal environment for providing health care to female veterans. VA should receive necessary resources to have at least one provider with women’s health care expertise at every medical facility.