Women and Post-Deployment Health

Sadler AG. Women and Post-Deployment Health. HSR&D FORUM: Translating Research into Quality Health Care for Veterans. 2011 May 1; 6.

Related HSR&D Project(s)

• DHI 08-136 – Combat, Sexual Assault, and Post-Traumatic Stress in OIF/OEF Military Women
• DHI 05-059 – Physical and Sexual Assault in Deployed Women: Risks, Outcomes and Services
• DHI 08-051 – Urogenital Symptoms, Depression and PTSD in OEF/OIF Women Veterans

More than 200,000 women have been deployed and, like their male counterparts, experienced the high stress of deployment, work, or travel in combat areas. While women are not technically in combat roles, their duties and service environments can place them at constant risk. Now comprising approximately 15 percent of the U.S. armed forces overall and 17 percent of Reserve and National Guard (R/NG) forces, women are among the fastest growing groups of new VA users. After a history of caring primarily for males and members of the Regular Military, VA is now challenged with meeting the health care needs of this unique population of women.