Talk to the Veterans Crisis Line now
U.S. flag
An official website of the United States government
Veterans Benefits and Health Care About VA Find a VA Location

VA Health Systems Research

Go to the VA ORD website
Go to the QUERI website

HSR Citation Abstract

Search | Search by Center | Search by Source | Keywords in Title

The intersection of trauma, mental health, and reproductive health among women veterans: A scoping review.

Nillni YI, Barbano AC, Coleman JN, Fernando M, Gerber MR, Goodsmith N, Haeger KO, Hoffmire CA, Horenstein A, Inslicht SS, Johnson AM, Katon JG, Moses-Kolko EL, Kosman KA, Pineles SL, Pleasure ZH, Singh N, Miller LJ. The intersection of trauma, mental health, and reproductive health among women veterans: A scoping review. Clinical Psychology Review. 2025 Dec 1; 122:102659, DOI: 10.1016/j.cpr.2025.102659.

Dimensions for VA is a web-based tool available to VA staff that enables detailed searches of published research and research projects.

If you have VA-Intranet access, click here for more information vaww.hsrd.research.va.gov/dimensions/

VA staff not currently on the VA network can access Dimensions by registering for an account using their VA email address.    Search Dimensions for VA for this citation
* Don't have VA-internal network access or a VA email address? Try searching the free-to-the-public version of Dimensions


Abstract:

Compared to their non-Veteran peers, women Veterans have a higher burden of trauma and mental health conditions, which intersect with reproductive health across the lifespan. This scoping review summarizes the outcomes of 83 studies focused on the associations between trauma or mental health and reproductive health among women Veterans in the United States. While research in some areas of reproductive health (i.e., sexual dysfunction, perinatal health) have steadily increased, other areas (e.g., menopausal symptoms) remain largely unstudied. Findings reveal that trauma, particularly sexual trauma, and mental health conditions, especially PTSD and depression, are associated with adverse reproductive health outcomes for women Veterans across the lifespan, including unintended pregnancies, adverse gynecological conditions, sexual dysfunction, adverse perinatal outcomes, and increased distress during routine gynecological care procedures. The review underscores the need for trauma-informed care, integration of reproductive and mental health services, and additional research on underexplored reproductive health outcomes.




Questions about the HSR website? Email the Web Team

Any health information on this website is strictly for informational purposes and is not intended as medical advice. It should not be used to diagnose or treat any condition.
<--- --->