@article{f706f5284e834776a1c8564f9057f3ad,
title = "Reproductive Health of Women Veterans: A Systematic Review of the Literature from 2008 to 2017",
abstract = "The literature on the reproductive health and healthcare of women Veterans has increased dramatically, though there are important gaps. This article aims to synthesize recent literature on reproductive health and healthcare of women Veterans. We updated a literature search to identify manuscripts published between 2008 and July 1, 2017. We excluded studies that were not original research, only included active-duty women, or had few women Veterans in their sample. Manuscripts were reviewed using a standardized abstraction form. We identified 52 manuscripts. Nearly half (48%) of the new manuscripts addressed contraception and preconception care (n = 15) or pregnancy (n = 10). The pregnancy and family planning literature showed that (1) contraceptive use and unintended pregnancy among women Veterans using VA healthcare is similar to that of the general population; (2) demand for VA maternity care is increasing; and (3) women Veterans using VA maternity care are a high-risk population for adverse pregnancy outcomes. A recurrent finding across topics was that history of lifetime sexual assault and mental health conditions were highly prevalent among women Veterans and associated with a wide variety of adverse reproductive health outcomes across the life course. The literature on women Veterans' reproductive health is rapidly expanding, but remains largely observational. Knowledge gaps persist in the areas of sexually transmitted infections, infertility, and menopause.",
keywords = "deployment, health services, reproductive health, women Veterans, women's health",
author = "Katon, {Jodie G.} and Laurie Zephyrin and Anne Meoli and Avanthi Hulugalle and Jeane Bosch and Lisa Callegari and Galvan, {Ileana V.} and Gray, {Kristen E.} and Haeger, {Kristin O.} and Claire Hoffmire and Silvina Levis and Ma, {Erica W.} and McCabe, {Jennifer E.} and Nillni, {Yael I.} and Pineles, {Suzanne L.} and Reddy, {Shivani M.} and Savitz, {David A.} and Shaw, {Jonathan G.} and Patton, {Elizabeth W.}",
note = "Funding Information: This work was supported in part by the VA Women{\textquoteright}s Health Research Network funded by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Health Services Research and Development (HSR&D) Service (SDR 10–012) and the Evidence Based Synthesis Program located at the Minneapolis VA Healthcare System funded by the VA Office of Research and Development, Quality Enhancement Research Initiative. Dr. Katon was supported by the VA Puget Sound HSR&D Center of Innovation (COIN) for Veteran-Centered and Value Driven Care, the Veterans Affairs Office of Patient Care Services, Office of Women{\textquoteright}s Health, and by a HSR&D Career Development Award (VA HSRD CDA 13–266). Dr. Bosch is supported by an Advanced Fellowship in Women{\textquoteright}s Health from the Veterans Affairs Office of Academic Affiliations. Drs. Gray and Callegari were supported by HSR&D Career Development Awards (VA HSRD CDA 16–154 and CDA 14–412). Dr. Yael Nillni was supported by a K23 award from the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (1K23HD087428–01A1). Dr. Elizabeth Patton was supported by the Division of Reproductive Health, VA Office of Patient Care Services, Women{\textquoteright}s Health Services. The views expressed herein are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the position or policy of the Department of Veterans Affairs. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2018 Georg Thieme. All Rights Reserved.",
year = "2018",
month = nov,
day = "19",
doi = "10.1055/s-0039-1678750",
language = "English (US)",
volume = "36",
pages = "315--322",
journal = "Seminars in Reproductive Medicine",
issn = "1526-8004",
publisher = "Thieme Medical Publishers",
number = "6",
}