Military Exposures and Early Menopause: Findings From the Gulf War Era Cohort Study (GWECS)

Traumatic and environmental exposures during military service may affect reproductive health and ovarian aging, putting women veterans at risk for early menopause. We examined relationships between military exposures and possible early menopause among women 1990-1991 Gulf War veterans.

This is a longitudinal analysis of data from the Gulf War Era Cohort Study. Women Gulf War veterans who completed baseline (1995) and follow-up assessments (2012) and were aged ≤45 at follow-up were included. Military exposures (Gulf War deployment, military environmental exposures [MEEs], Gulf War Illness, military sexual trauma [MST]) and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) were assessed at baseline. Participants were categorized as having possible early menopause if in response to follow-up survey questions about menstruation they indicated menopause or having no periods for 1 year. Associations among military exposures, PTSD, and possible early menopause were examined with logistic regression models.

The analytic sample included 668 women veterans. Among Gulf War-deployed veterans (n = 384), 63% reported MEEs and 26% reported MST during deployment. Within the total sample, 57% met criteria for Gulf War Illness, and 23% met criteria for probable PTSD. At follow-up, 15% had possible early menopause. In adjusted analyses, Gulf War Illness (odds ratio [OR] 1.83; 95% confidence interval [CI] [1.14, 2.95]) and probable PTSD (OR 2.45; 95% CI [1.54, 3.90]) were significantly associated with possible early menopause.

Women veterans may be vulnerable to early menopause (under age 45), which brings additional care considerations for health promotion and symptom management. Menopause care in the Department of Veterans Affairs should include consideration of PTSD and comorbid chronic conditions such as Gulf War Illness, key veteran-centric clinical correlates that may influence the onset and experience of menopause.