Military Family Physicians' Practices and Perceptions About Reproductive Health Services for Deploying Women

Area of Science:

• Military Medicine
• Reproductive Health
• Family Medicine

Background:

• Inadequate provision of contraceptive services affects military health, readiness, and financial outcomes.
• This study focuses on reproductive health practices and perceptions among family medicine physicians serving servicewomen.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the reproductive health practices and perceptions of family medicine physicians caring for servicewomen.
• To identify barriers and facilitators in providing contraceptive services to servicewomen, particularly in deployed settings.

Main Methods:

• An anonymous survey was distributed to 568 attendees at the 2018 Uniformed Services Academy of Family Physicians annual meeting.
• The survey achieved a 52.8% response rate, with 69% of respondents meeting inclusion criteria for analysis.

Main Results:

• Physicians reported difficulties prescribing contraception during deployment due to method unavailability (20.8%) and patient fear/stigma (2.6%).
• Some physicians did not discuss contraception during pre-deployment visits due to competing priorities (17.4%) or ethical concerns (1.5%).
• Physicians with deployment history were more likely to offer oral contraceptives in deployed settings, and timely access to subdermal implants increased their prescription rates.

Conclusions:

• There is a need for standardized pre-deployment processes and enhanced resources for reproductive health services in deployed environments.
• Strategies should focus on reducing barriers to care through provider education, resource allocation, and optimized appointment structures.
• Further research is required to understand the impact of physician practices on patient outcomes and military readiness.