Study:Contraceptive Use, Needs
VA is making great strides in improving care for women Veterans.
A research study currently in progress, funded by VA HSR&D and led by CHERP’s Sonya Borrero, MD, MS, is the first to gather data on rates of contraceptive use, unmet contraceptive need, and unintended pregnancy among women VA users.
“We have analyzed data from an ongoing telephone-based survey of a national sample of female Veterans aged 18 – 45 who receive primary care in VA,” according to Dr. Borrero. “Preliminary results from the first 1,923 participants indicate that 62.2% of women were using a contraceptive method at the time of interview. Specifically, 34.2% were using a highly effective method (sterilization, implant, or intrauterine device); 17.4% were using a moderately effective method (contraceptive pill, patch, vaginal ring, or injection); and 10.3% were using less effective methods (condoms, withdrawal, and natural family planning). Among women at risk of unintended pregnancy (heterosexually active, not infertile, and not pregnant or seeking pregnancy), 88.4% were using a method of contraception and 11.6% were not using any method, similar to proportions found in US national data. The annual pregnancy rate in the initial sample was 61.4 per 1,000 women, and the unintended pregnancy rate was 23.2 per 1,000 women. Thus, about 36% of pregnancies were reported as unintended. Although this rate is similar to the age-adjusted rate in the general US population, these rates are less than ideal with over a third of pregnancies being unintended, so we still have work to do.“
In addition to generating patient-centered strategies to improve contraceptive care, Dr. Borrero’s work will also identify whether women Veterans in vulnerable populations, including women belonging to racial/ethnic minority groups and those with mental health diagnoses, are at particularly high risk for unintended pregnancy.
“While VA is making great strides in improving care for women Veterans,” Dr. Borrero observes, “further efforts are needed to ensure high quality reproductive health care with access to effective contraceptive methods for each individual so that she can achieve her own reproductive goals.”
(Please note: The contents of this article do not represent the views of the Department of Veteran Affairs or the United States government. This is an update on current research in progress.)
