Reproductive health services: A missed opportunity in VA primary care?

Integration of reproductive health services into comprehensive primary care is increasingly viewed as a strategy to address service gaps and improve patient-centered care. We assess receipt of contraceptive and prepregnancy health counseling among pregnancy-capable Veterans within Veterans Affairs (VA) primary care.

Data are from 1076 participants in a nationally representative, cross-sectional survey of women Veterans ages 18 to 45 with an overall survey response rate of 28%. Descriptive analyses and chi square tests of association were performed.

Only 44% of pregnancy-capable Veterans reported receiving any contraceptive and/or prepregnancy care from a VA primary care provider in the past year.

Although VA guidelines include reproductive services as a core component of primary care, additional efforts may be needed to promote routine provision of this care in practice.